


To Be Young Again

by WeekendWriter



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Chuck Lives, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Operation Pitfall (Pacific Rim), Shatterdome Family, Shatterdome Shenanigans, Slow Build, like super slow for obvious reasons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-08-20 12:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8248018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeekendWriter/pseuds/WeekendWriter
Summary: Raleigh bounced with impatience. The computer would tell them if it was some kind of biological agent released as a kaiju defense, or something else sinister to be worried about. He strained to see through the remaining red and stared intently at the spot where Chuck had been arm-deep in the mess, and as the vapor finally dissipated, he was met by quite a sight. 
Sitting on the ground, hands half-raised in confusion, bright grey eyes brimming with not-quite-spilled-over tears, was a small, freckle-faced, ginger, four-year-old Chuck Hansen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Will update tags as the story progresses. I hope to update this weekly, if not sooner, but we'll see what real life has to say about that. Feedback and suggestions welcome, feel free to leave comments!

Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, a welcome distraction from the normal hurricane of thoughts that swarmed Raleigh’s mind. He looked on interestedly as Chuck turned, finally removing his face from where it was dangerously close to the piece of Kaiju he was currently arm-deep in. The biological work with the Kaiju that Chuck had turned to was something that Raleigh never expected to see. Biology and working with life tended to require far more patience than Chuck could muster, after all.

Although at this point, he could no longer count the number of times the younger Hansen had surprised his expectations on one hand.

After the monumental events of Operation Pitfall and the accompanying days of recovery, Raleigh had expected Chuck to become involved in the planning stages of the new jaegers. Relations between the UN and the PPDC still remained strained enough that actual production on new jaegers was on hold indefinitely. Or so he was told. After all the bullshit surrounding Knifehead and the Wall of Life production, Raleigh decided he would rather shit the amount of construction material he’d handled in his five years than sit in on one of those meetings. 

For the personnel still in the Shatterdome, the thought of the kaiju returning was enough to motivate them to at least start planning so that when jaeger production finally began, they would be ready. Mako was heading up the new jaeger project, as Raleigh had expected she would, since her work restoring Gipsy had given her more than enough credibility as a planner and an engineer. She was also the only person capable enough to whip half a ‘Dome into shape enough to create schematics for a jaeger.

Chuck, however, had wandered over to the K-Science Lab one day in his usual military-stiff manner and hadn’t returned from the lab until breakfast the next day.

Which is how on a Wednesday afternoon, Raleigh came to find him working side-by-side with a (thankfully) newly calmed Newt. The normally spazzy nature of the kaiju expert had finally calmed now that the imminent threat of the apocalypse no longer hung over their heads like an ominous cloud. Not to say that the work they were continuing wasn’t still important; Newt regularly preached that the key to saving the kaiju-tainted environment would be found in their biological makeup. And given how right he was about the events leading up to Pitfall, none of the PPDC wanted to doubt him now. Raleigh was willing to let them do whatever they did best if it helped them pick up the pieces of the world. 

Chuck gave him a quick look-over through the paned glass of the containment chamber before he delved a hand back into the kaiju remains. Raleigh didn’t envy his work. Being in the other dimension for as long as he had was more interaction than he ever wanted with them; he couldn’t imagine being inside of one, even if it was only a part and not the whole beast. 

At a nearby table, Newt flipped through paperwork and charts on Chuck’s findings, idly playing with the coffee cup in front of him. He had gently tipped his chair back, his crossed boots over the tabletop, as he pondered the research. At times, he nodded in agreement with the notes. Raleigh supposed he shouldn’t be surprised; the kid’s intelligence rivaled his arrogance. He wouldn’t stop until he learned absolutely everything he could on the subject. Maybe even as much as Newt knew. 

The surprise came as Raleigh decided to leave the silence. A loud sound, like pressure releasing from a water pipe, hissed into the containment chamber. Raleigh turned to see a startling red mist settle over the entirety of the room. Which was a truly alarming color since it was a departure from the normal kaiju blue excretions. Come to think of it, he’d never seen anything other than blue oozing from the strange creatures. Newt leaped to his feet in an instant and yelled at Raleigh in his previously typical, high-pitched manner, ordering him to seal off the lab. The doctor’s normal calm demeanor about dealing with everything kaiju was gone, which told Raleigh that this was something not even the expert had seen before. 

Never a good sign. Of course, the one time he visits the K-Science Lab, something goes wrong.

He slammed a fist to the emergency alarm on the side wall and winced as the siren’s whooping cut through both the air and his damn eardrums. Newt hunched over the computer screen taking readings of the room, his brow scrunched in deep thought. Raleigh bounced with impatience. The computer would tell them if it was some kind of biological agent released as a kaiju defense, or something else sinister to be worried about. 

The vapor was soon rapidly picked up by the venting in the containment chamber. When he could finally see through to the other end of the room, Newt gave him a nod. “It’s not something transmissible once the dust settles. There’s no telling what’s happened to Chuck since he got a face-full, but when the vent is done doing its job, we should be good to go in.”

Raleigh drew in a sharp breath, the colors and patterns of the other dimension suddenly hitting him like a freight train. After what he’d seen there, he could only imagine what kind of sinister effect the mist would have on Chuck. He strained to see through the remaining red and stared intently at the spot where Chuck had been arm-deep in the mess, and as the vapor finally dissipated, he was met by quite a sight. 

Sitting on the ground, hands half-raised in confusion, bright grey eyes brimming with not-quite-spilled-over tears, was a small, freckle-faced, ginger, four-year-old Chuck Hansen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you who have read so far! I'm trying to keep my word about speedy updates, so here, have some more!

Raleigh stared. The irony of the fact that he regularly referred to Chuck as a kid—both internally and externally—was not lost on him. Neither he nor Newt made to move. They were engaged in a staring contest with small eyes, eyes that still looked as though they were prepared to begin the water works anytime now. 

That’s what snaps him into action. Whether Chuck is aware of the fact that he’s now pint sized or not, the kid must be terrified. Raleigh takes notice of the grabby hands that have started in his direction enough to push into the containment room, lean down and scoop the–child?–up into his arms. Newt, who is still standing open-mouthed by his desk, jumps into action the second he reemerges, balancing Chuck in his arms.

“Holy shit–what the–?” Newt’s completely incoherent, as per his usual pre-Pitfall self. 

After shooting him a pointed look, Raleigh took a second to really glance down at the surprisingly still form of his former nemesis. The difference between Chuck-the-adult and Chuck-the-child is something else. The longer ginger hair looks soft, and he barely resists the urge to fluff it with his fingers. Child or not, he’s sure Chuck would still throw punches if he even tried. But he had to admit, the button nose was kinda cute. Eyes as wide as saucers stared back at him, an uncertain air behind them.

The young doctor surged toward them, finally finding both his footing and his wording, and the child –Chuck?– turned nervously to bury that small button nose in Raleigh’s neck for support. Rightfully so, as Newt exclaimed, “This is amazing! This is something completely new. I _have_ to study exactly what happened here! What tests do I need to set up? I’ll have to see—”

“Newt, back off. The kid’s not a damn science experiment.” When Newt looked ready to argue his response, Raleigh continued, “I doubt Herc is going to be okay with whatever just happened, on your watch I might add, let alone be okay with you sticking his son into isolation to watch him like some kind of lab rat.”

No one could refute the kind of power that came with Herc’s attitude and status; not even the flustered young doctor, who pursed his lips but admitted defeat. “Fine. But we’re going to have to do _some_ tests to make sure whatever this is hasn’t hurt him in any way.”

Guess the guy had a point there. “Fine. But not until Herc gets here.” He stroked Chuck’s back lightly, hoping the gesture soothed the poor kid. “You’re the one that gets to explain, by the way.”

Newt’s look of alarm and concern kept him chuckling until Herc, along with a few other higher-up personnel arrived, no doubt brought in by the lab’s emergency alarm. 

Hercules Hansen strode into the room, looking every bit the part of the Marshall. He just about did own the place and carried himself as though he knew just that. Raleigh knew he had mourned the loss of Stacker Pentacost more than anyone (with the exception of Mako, of course), but he had stepped into his new role more effectively than anyone had predicted. Which was saying something, considering how capable they all believed he was to begin with. 

Which made the shit that Newt was in all the more amusing. 

The large Australian’s eyes scanned the room. “Don’t suppose you’ve an explanation as to why the emergency alarm just pulled me out of an important meeting, Dr. Geiszler.”

Newt swallowed visibly. Raleigh couldn’t help the smirk that emerged. 

Which promptly fell the second Herc finally noticed him. And the noticeable amount of weight currently in his arms with curious eyes that peeked out over a small shoulder. 

Herc paled. Raleigh didn’t think he had even looked that bad when he thought he was saying goodbye to Chuck for the last time, right before the launch of Pitfall. His mouth opened, closed, opened again, before it was covered by one extra-large hand. Forget Chuck; now, Raleigh was worried about Herc punching him. 

“What…?” And Raleigh thought Newt had been bad at forming a coherent sentence. “What is…?” Herc took a step back. The uncertainty on his face was growing as though he couldn’t believe what was right in front of his eyes. 

Raleigh nudged Chuck forward enough to be able to look into those still-saucer-wide eyes. “It’s okay.”

Chuck stared back, although at least he no longer looked like he was about to burst into tears at any second. After an agonizing moment, he turned around in Raleigh’s arms enough to look at Herc. 

The sound that the elder Hansen made was unlike anything Raleigh had ever expected to hear from the man. “Chuck…?”

The kid looked back at Raleigh. His eyes had narrowed a bit, but they still portrayed concern. 

Almost like he was waiting for… some kind of cue? Raleigh jerked his head toward Herc and said softly, “Go on.”

Another few agonizing seconds passed, and then Chuck finally reached stubby arms out toward Herc. 

An entire spectrum of emotions crossed Herc’s strong features, from blindingly obvious pain to absolute joy. He reached out and plucked the kid from Raleigh’s arms, holding him close. It was a moment between father and son that Raleigh hadn’t ever witnessed from the two, and he very much felt like he was intruding on a private moment.

Although, he couldn’t help but notice Chuck’s uncertainty lingered.

“I, uh…” Call-Me-Newt’s squeaks interrupted the moment. “Marshall, I need to run some tests on him. Nothing invasive,” he added hastily when he noticed Herc’s flash of anger, “just a few tests on his vitals to make sure that he wasn’t hurt during… whatever happened.”

“What, exactly, did happen?” Herc asked as he smoothed the kid’s hair down. It was a small gesture, but Herc seemed to be doing it without thought. 

Raleigh wondered briefly if Herc thought often about when Chuck had been a child as he sat and waited for Newt to stammer his way through an explanation of the events of the day. How in the hell were things going to play out? At least the world was safer now; the prospects of raising and keeping a child alive were more in their favor now that there was no kaiju threat. 

But how long would Chuck be like this? Was there any chance it could be permanent? Herc was already echoing his thoughts to Newt, and Raleigh forced himself to take a deep breath. They were talking to the leading expert on kaiju. Even if this was something he’d never seen before, he’d find a way to educate himself on the matter. Hell, the man had created his own drift simulator to drift with a kaiju brain before Pitfall. Raleigh figured that meant that the guy could probably pull anything out of his skinny-jeaned ass when it came to science. 

One of the nurses from medical came to assist Newt in checking Chuck’s vitals, and Raleigh was relieved to hear that other than the fact that he had regressed a good seventeen years, he was healthy and fit enough to leave the lab without having to go to medical. 

Of course, that wasn’t enough for Herc. He wasn’t about half-measures when it came to his son, not after almost losing the kid to Pitfall. “Newton, what exactly happens now? What’s your plan for dealing with it?”

The threat came through loud and clear. The ‘fix it or I’ll _fix you_ kind of threat. 

“Um.” The jittery hands and cleared throat were clear signs of Newt’s continued nervousness. “Well. I’ve got the remains still and some of the dust that’s settled in the vents. I can run some texts to see if I can figure out exactly what all of _it_ is.” He flailed his hands at the ‘it’ as if that was a good description. “If I can figure out what it is, I can figure out what the extent of the effects are.”

Herc nodded slowly. As much as he didn’t want to accept what had happened, that was about as good an answer as he could have hoped for. “Alright. I’ll check in with you later. Get Dr. Gottlieb to assist you. And anything else you need, you let me know.” He caught the young doctor’s gaze and repeated intensely, “Anything.”

Naturally, Herc would spare no expense for his son. Newt nodded enthusiastically and threw himself out of the lab, practically screaming, “Herman!” as he went. 

Chuck began squirming slightly in Herc’s arms. The older Hansen looked down, offended, as the kid moved this way and that way until he had turned himself around again to look at Raleigh. Satisfied with the new position, he glanced up at Raleigh with the same hands as before. If that wasn’t going to stick as a nickname…

Poor Herc. The guy looked gutted to see his son reaching for someone else other than himself. Little whimpers escaped as Chuck kept reaching, until Herc finally relented with an expectant look at Raleigh. The military-rigid calmness had returned. “Well, mate?”

Stunned, Raleigh just reached for the kid. Small hands grasped the front of his sweater, a sweater he was sure Chuck hated (which was definitely fodder for insults later), and held on like the kid had no intent of letting go anytime soon. He tried to shoot Herc a sympathetic look as Chuck buried his freckled face in the dark blue fabric, but the father had, predictably, turned away. 

“I’ll, uh… just check in on the little ankle biter after my meetings today.”

Raleigh winced as the man left the lab area. Glancing down only gave him a face-full of ginger as soft as he’d expected. He sighed. “Quarter of my size and you’re still trying to get me killed. Huh, kid?”

Chuck said nothing in response. Raleigh could feel the kid just breathing in the fabric, breathing in the closeness of another person. Even had the nerve to finally mutter the first tiny word once Herc's retreating back had disappeared: “Hungry.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He thought Chuck tried his patience before. But this, this was really trying. “You can’t just—” Can’t just what? Ignore your father? Make me your own personal nanny? He’d expected Herc had done as much, effectively leaving him no choice in looking after the kid. The uncertainty in Chuck’s eyes as he sat in his father’s arms was disconcerting. He knew the two didn’t have the best family track record, but it was clear that he’d hurt Herc’s feelings, intentional or not. 

“Tell you what.” He paused long enough for Chuck to get curious enough to look up, those not-quite-grey eyes meeting blue with something Raleigh didn’t want to address. (Trust. It was trust.) “If you can talk to me about why you got upset at Herc, I’ll get you all your favorites. Fries and a hamburger, and something chocolate, of course, right buddy?” 

The kid paused with narrowed eyes, like it was a nuclear missile pact he was considering instead of a minor deal for food. “’Kay.”

Hmm. ‘Buddy’ had rolled off the tongue wrong. And ‘Chuck’ conjured up the image of the Great Angry Australian Jerk, who could not be any more different than the kid in his arms if he tried. “Alright, Charlie. Deal.”

The miniature bitch-face he got in response was well worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that this chapter is going up a bit later than the first two, I was on vacation and didn't have as much access to WiFi as I'd hoped. But, as promised, the next chapter! I really appreciate those of you who have read, followed, and commented so far, it makes me happy to see others enjoying what I'm writing! There will be more shenanigans to come in further chapters as well.

While he knew it’d be difficult to get the kid to cooperate, Raleigh hadn’t expected him to be near impossible. Even after getting both fries and a cheeseburger that rivaled his head in size, Chuck refused to talk, and instead alternated shoving his little fists between the two and his mouth. He tackled eating like he did everything else; small, calculated bites that allowed for maximum food intake and minimum air intake. 

Which is how Raleigh knew some of the adult-Chuck was still left in the depths of the wide, childlike eyes that kept darting his way. 

He sighed. “Come on, kid. You got what you wanted.”

A huff that resulted in a half-cough from the kid and a damn near heart attack from him were the result. 

Because he _really_ didn’t want to die by Herc’s hand today for letting his son choke on shitty food.

He rubbed his face. All the time he’d spent trying to get used to Chuck’s abrasive treatment of him, and he was still rapidly losing patience. So much so that he reached forward with a careful snap of his elbow and slid the tray back over to his side before Chuck could even lift a finger in response. 

Raleigh smirked. Score one for the actual-sized human. 

Except that the second Chuck screwed up his face in frustration and let a tear or two loose, every eye in the general area converged upon him with the same scandalized expression. 

Scratch that. Little bastard could play dirty.

He reluctantly pushed the tray back across the table. The second his food was in reach, Chuck was all smiles again and happily munched while his feet swung below. 

Two could play at that game. Raleigh leaned back, ran a hand through what now had to be unruly hair, and leaned in close so that none of those easily-offended onlookers could hear him. “You know Herc didn’t fight to get you back from Pitfall just to watch you blow him off the second he has a chance to make things right.”

The distress was easy to read on the kid’s face. Raleigh knew it was a low blow, putting the young Hansen close to tears again, but he had to do it.

Because that’s what this was. Chuck may not see it yet, but this whole suddenly-below-four-feet disaster was an opportunity to start over in some ways. Herc may not have been the best father once the world started its descent into shit, but what else was this except an opportunity for him to try again? Anything that the two missed out on could be salvaged here. Right now, the two were only concerned about themselves. Chuck wanted nothing to do with his father, and Herc was mainly just concerned about Chuck’s well-being from afar. The two were clearly ignoring what was possibly the best thing that could have happened to them. What better way to work on communication than to work on solving a major problem while Chuck’s volatility wasn’t quite what it used to be?

It was just a matter of making them see it. But he’d have to go about it more stealthily because as he watched, the kid dissolved into actual tears. Little sniffs emerged from the button nose as he tried, and failed, to not snot on himself. 

Yeah, Raleigh’s heart broke a little. He moved over to the other side of the table, napkin in hand, ready to help as snot patrol (because this was apparently his life now). “Hey, come on now.” He rubbed little circles on Chuck’s back to stem the tide of the small sobs. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…” He sighed again. “I know what it’s like to have a shit relationship with your father. Believe me, Herc’s dad of the century compared to mine sometimes. I’m not saying what you went through was easy. I’m saying I don’t know what it’s like to have a second chance to fix things. Or, shit, what it’s even like to have issues that can be fixed. I’m not asking you to like him.” He gently dabbed at the last of the tears in the corners of Chuck’s eyes. “I’m not asking for things to change overnight. I’m asking for you to give him a chance.”

Fuck, if anybody told him days ago he’d be having this conversation with Chuck Hansen, he would have laughed them straight out of the Shatterdome. Straight out of Hong Cong, for that matter.

After fighting his way through a few sniffles, Chuck finally nodded. “I…” He nodded, screwing his little face up in something like determination. Raleigh had seen the look before, after the kid had suited up but before he’d gotten into the Conn Pod. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll try.”

It was better than he could have hoped for. The voice was small, but he knew Chuck. The kid was stubborn and determined as hell, and Raleigh knew he would apply that same perseverance to this. 

And, he noted with a grin, the small voice was still twinged with the thick Australian accent.

“See, Charlie? Wasn’t that hard.”

Another bitch-face. Raleigh could practically hear the rumbling, blustered “fuck you” from adult-Chuck and half-hoped he’d get the chance to hear it from the small, high-pitched voice. 

“Come on. Let’s go surprise someone.”

 

 

The walk to the Marshall’s office went slow. The kid hadn’t changed his mind; he was more like dragging out the time until he had to face the music. Raleigh didn’t blame him. What he’d said about his own father was true, but he couldn’t imagine facing the man all these years later. If the SOB was even still alive, for that matter. So he changed his step to match the small padding feet beside him, tiny hand clasped in one of his own (again, if someone had told him he’d be holding hands with Chuck “Disappear-Because-It’s-the-Only-Thing-You’re-Good-At” Hansen, he probably would have shit – well, not a brick, but–).

A yell stopped the two in place as they walked the hallway outside of LOCCENT. Raleigh turned and grinned as he saw Tendo walking toward them, two mugs of coffee and a bagel in hand. It was good to see that some things hadn’t changed, even after the war. 

“You know, I’d heard but I didn’t believe it,” Tendo said with a grin of his own. He handed one of the mugs to Raleigh for safe keeping and crouched to get in Chuck’s eye level. He whistled. “Damn, kid. Haven’t seen you like this in years.”

Chuck gripped Raleigh’s hand just a bit tighter and took a small step closer to his leg. Raleigh noticed the kid was more cautious around other people, even people he knew. He wondered if it was a side effect of being so much smaller than everyone else, or if it was just Chuck’s old insecurities popping up. A snide voice in the back of his head (Yancy, probably) pointed out just how comfortable the kid was with him, which he _really_ didn’t want to read into. But he needn’t have worried about Chuck’s cautiousness; just as Tendo’s face began to fall, Chuck giggled and said, “Haven’t seen hair as God-awful as that in years either, Elvis.”

Tendo’s face practically split with a grin. “Still got the sass, I see. Good. Cause throwing punches at this size isn’t going to do much for ya, kid.”

Chuck stuck his tongue out. Tendo accepted his mug back and headed on his way. Raleigh himself was fighting a losing battle against not grinning. The kid could be civil, it seemed. Although, how he would deal with Herc would be far different than his relations with Tendo.

But another, much more welcome distraction suddenly barreled around the corner into their hallway. The sharp click of nails on metal sounded as the stocky, wrinkly mass skittered toward them, all smiles. 

“MAX!”

The bulldog practically took Chuck to the ground, bowling the kid over with his enthusiasm and covering him with enthusiastic licks. It was the second time Raleigh’s heart hurt looking at the kid; but this time, it was the good kind of hurt. Chuck’s dimples were out in full-force, and if he thought they were something as an adult, child-Chuck’s dimples were a work of art. He was willing to bet the kid could get anything he wanted simply by flashing them. It was also the first time he’d seen Chuck truly happy since the whole suddenly-kid ordeal, and he looked so completely relaxed, so utterly at piece, that it hurt to even think of the war-torn, angry, sarcastic asshole he’d known not so long ago. 

Raleigh crouched down to their level and gave Max a few head scratches. Chuck glanced up at him, all wide eyes and earnest smile, as Max woofed his assent of the treatment and leaned into Raleigh’s touches. He should have guessed Chuck would judge someone’s character based on Max’s approval. Hell, the guy had done it to him the day they met. 

An idea struck. “Why don’t we bring Max with us to talk to your old man?”

It seemed he was doing something right. Chuck’s eyes lit up at the prospect and he received another “’Kay,” in return. 

Small steps in the right direction. _Charlie-small steps_ , he thought with a grin. 

Fortunately, the elder Hansen was neither on a business call nor in a meeting by the time Chuck chased Max into the Marshall’s office, hands extended as he ran after the stubby dog (and no, Raleigh wasn’t jealous at all to see that he wasn’t the only thing Chuck made grabby-hands at). Herc started as the sound of Chuck’s laughter suddenly filled the room. 

“Hey, Herc.” Raleigh kept things light, flashing his easy, laid-back grin as he followed the two. “Thought we’d all stop by and say hi while you’re not too busy.”

How much the gesture seemed to mean to Herc wasn’t lost on him. Seeing the two chasing each other around the large desk of the office had to bring back old memories, memories that hadn’t been touched in years, probably. They seemed far too painful to have been touched in the drift. Chuck turned from the chase long enough to flash the dimples in Herc’s direction as an indication that he was happy to be there, too, and Herc sank noticeably down into his chair. 

“I…” The man swallowed with difficulty. “Fuck, sometimes I forget how much he looks like her until I see that.” Herc had to be talking about Angela; it was still difficult for the guy to even mention her name, Raleigh noticed. “Nobody in my family had those. The past few years… Shit, I can count the number of times I’ve seen them probably on one hand.”

“Well, if things go as I hope, you’ll see them plenty more.”

The Marshall jerked his head in Raleigh’s direction. “Oi, what’s that mean?”

He didn’t want to feel like he was stepping on the man’s toes, but Raleigh knew Herc and his son needed a little shove in the right direction when it came to issues of the heart. “It means I can see what’s going on here. And I know that you and him really need this. Herc, you can’t tell me you couldn’t see this as a way to air out some of the old issues.”

Herc paused to watch his son, who was now attempting peek-a-boo around the edges of the desk with a very indifferent bulldog. “I’d thought this could be the opportunity for change, but… you saw the way he reacted earlier. Little bastard won’t give me the time of day to try.”

“He will.” Raleigh surprised even himself with the certainty in his voice. “I’ve talked to him already, and I think he’s willing to try. Just… baby steps, no pun intended.”

“Why?” The extra-large Australian stood, suspicion overriding the genuine curiosity in his voice. “What do you get out of this?”

Raleigh paused. He too watched Max and Chuck together, caught in their own little world of tag, very aware that he was witnessing something that hadn’t occurred for more than a decade. His chest constricted again as he watched the way Chuck moved, carefree and agreeable, with his best friend. That. That was exactly why.

“Because I can help. That means I should.” And because if that wasn’t reason enough, he added, “Just because your son is an asshole when he wants to be, frequently I might add, doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve good things. And that goes for you, too, Marshall.”

Of course, there wasn’t much that needed be said to that. Herc simply nodded. Raleigh could feel the absolute gratitude simply in the look that the man gave him, and that was more than enough for him.

The sound of Chuck running headlong into the desk in an attempt to follow Max under it was more than enough, too, even if Herc looked ready to strangle him for the laugh he tried to smother with a cough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in chapters, real life not only caught up to but surpassed me, so I made sure to make this Chapter longer and extra-fluffy. Thanks to all of you following the story, I hope you enjoy!

Chuck reluctantly agreed to stay and play with Max in Herc’s office long enough for Raleigh to run back to the mess hall to get a late lunch for himself. And by that, he literally meant run. Spectators must have enjoyed the sight of him sliding into the mess before he began to haphazardly slap meat and veggies on a slice of bread, the other slice hanging precariously from his mouth. It reminded him of the times he and Yancy raced to see who could get in and out of the mess faster. Those races had been put to a halt the day that Yancy had tripped, unintentionally inhaled half a foot-long sandwich, and sputtered on the floor for thirty seconds until Medical had could get to him (Raleigh had definitely not been the horrible younger brother laughing at his older brother the entire time). 

Once he was satisfied at the impressive pile of meats balancing precariously in his hand, Raleigh turned to hurry back to the office and finally slapped the two halves of the makeshift lunch together. Not that he didn’t trust Herc and the small Chuck together; he just didn’t want to have to result to damage control this early in the day. 

The second he turned, something collided with his shoulder. He tipped the hand holding the sandwich one way in a desperate attempt to balance the snack, but as soon as he saw what (or more correctly, who) he bumped into, he abandoned the attempt with a cry of, “Mako!”

The small, slightly tilted smile she reserved for him was a welcome sight. She folded easily into his grip as he tried and failed not to smother her in a hug. Sue him, it’d been over a week since she left to discuss the new jaeger designs with prospective investors. “What are you doing back early?”

“We finished negotiations to satisfaction quicker than I anticipated,” Mako explained as she stepped back. She shrugged easily, a motion Raleigh was sure she’d learned from Yancy in the Drift. It made his chest ache, but in a good way. “I figured there was no need to linger.”

He grinned at the familiar fondness he felt for the petite woman. “Come on, Mako. I’m sure you could have used the vacation time.”

Her lips twitched into half a smirk. Now that one, he was sure she’d learned from him. “Not all of us know what that is.”

Raleigh gasped in mock hurt. “Rude. Ignoring all the hard work I’ve been doing around here lately.”

“Babysitting, from what I have heard.” 

He couldn’t help the frown that formed. “It’s Chuck. He’s worse than a full-time job when he can take care of himself; imagine how bad he must be now.”

“Rude.” She smirked again. “At least, it would be if it were not so true. How did this happen?”

“Something with Newt. Of course,” Raleigh added, wrinkling his nose at the memory of the violent red mist that had engulfed the ginger. “They were working on something new with a set of kaiju remains, I think. I came by to check it out and the next thing I knew, the thing just… exploded. No clue why. And I think Newt still doesn’t know why either.”

This time, Mako frowned in actual seriousness. “Is he alright?”

“Other than probably being pissed that he’s smaller than everyone else?” Raleigh snorted. He moved back to the line to pick out fresh food for his sandwich. “Kid’s fine. Newt’s trying to figure out how to get him back to normal, but until then, I’m pushing him and Herc to work through their shit.”

Dark eyes that followed his movements widened. “Oh, Raleigh. You really think that is a good idea?”

Raleigh took his time putting the new sandwich together. “I already ran it by Herc. And I kinda already guilted Chuck into trying.”

“You _what_?” She sounded more incredulous than he’d ever heard. 

“This will be good for them,” he pressed. “I mean, who wouldn’t want a second chance to reconnect with family?”

Some unnamable emotion passed over her small features. He hadn’t forgotten her own family history, and he knew she was well aware of his after the Drift. He hoped she would understand.

The pause seemed endless. Finally, Mako gave a small nod. “There are things I remember Chuck talking about when we were young in the Shatterdomes; things he felt as though he missed out on. I could… talk with you about these things, if Chuck himself is not yet comfortable with doing so?”

Warmth spread through his chest. Raleigh smiled shyly. “You’d do that for me?”

A small hand closed over his open one. “I would do anything for either of you. We survived together.”

Raleigh nodded, touched by her loyalty to the two of them. He led her over to an open table far enough from the rest of the regular lunch crowd; he was sure Chuck wouldn’t appreciate hearing from some tech that they had been talking about him behind his back. Even if it was for a good cause. 

She settled gracefully into her seat. “How has he been so far?”

So far, he thought of the grabby-hands, the timid nature, not wanting to be held by Herc… “Uh, well—Not quite a nightmare. Not yet, anyway.”

The sight of Mako rolling her eyes was a rare one, and one that Raleigh was glad to witness, even if the motion was directed at him.

“I’m serious, Mako.” He tore off a chunk of the sandwich and offered it to her with raised eyebrows. She accepted it, likely to mollify him more than anything else, and took a small bite. “Kids been more in my personal space than he was during that hallway fight.”

“Maybe he imprinted on you. Like a duck.” Another small smirk from her. 

“Har har. It’s not funny. He barely looked at Herc when the old man was finally in the room. Wouldn’t sit with him for more than a minute before he was itching to get back to me.” Raleigh could still feel the elder Aussie’s angry gaze. “Herc looked ready to wring my neck for it.” 

She paused, chewing thoughtfully. “He really has taken to you that way?”

“Unfortunately.” It was Raleigh’s turn to roll his eyes. “Herc practically dumped Chuck on me once he realized the kid still wanted nothing to do with him.”

“You make him feel safe.”

It wasn’t a question. Raleigh made a face but found he didn’t have the words to argue when he thought back to the way Chuck’s hands had fisted tightly in his sweater. “Kid still hates me for… for Knifehead.” He hated the way the words stuck in his throat, even all these years later. He ruefully put the sandwich down. Swallowing the lump that the memories brought was hard enough. “I was just in the right place at the right time.”

“Raleigh.”

He looked up at the small word. It was the tone Mako reserved for when she knew something he didn’t. It came up more and more now that they didn’t have the Drift to connect their thoughts. 

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. “He has never hated you, Raleigh. He may not have understood why you did what you did then. He may not even understand why now, but he has always looked up to you. That much I know from experience. Even after Knifehead.” She met his gaze unflinchingly. “And especially now.”

God, he’d forgotten how reassuring it was to have Mako around. In the back of his mind, he was dreading the next time she would have to leave on another trip. It would be soon, and it was for good reasons, but Raleigh had missed their talks more than he’d realized. 

She finished her half of the sandwich and continued. “He may be reverting back to that childlike sense of looking up to you. That, coupled with the last few difficult years with Hercules, may make him think that he can trust you more than him. One of the easier things I remember Chuck talking about was missing out on family dinners.” Mako smiled again, this time almost wistfully. “Before we had our differences, we would sneak into the mess and bring our food back whenever Sensei or Hercules would be in meetings. One year, a Lucky Seven tech found us an old table. We would take time from studies to have a ‘normal dinner’. He always talked about dinner with his mother and his father and how it… wasn’t exactly like the ‘normal dinners’ he saw on TV. I wanted to give him the best normal dinner I could.”

Raleigh’s heart ached. Of course, he’d heard from others that Angela and Herc Hansen hadn’t had the best years in their marriage during the years leading up to the K-War when Herc had become more involved in military life and less involved in family life. But he’d never connected that with the small, freckled, frightened face; all he thought about was how it shouldn’t have been an excuse for Chuck to be the raging douche he was most days. 

Thinking about the small, childlike Chuck sitting at a table by himself, waiting for a cherished family moment that would never come, was heartbreaking. 

“Right…” Raleigh cleared his throat. “Dinner… I can do dinner.” Already, ideas were struggling to take form in his mind. “Can you make it?”

She placed her hand on his, and he was again reminded of how grateful he was for her strength and unfaltering loyalty. “Of course I will make it.”

 

 

It had taken over an hour, a lot of physical effort, and his best attempt of charming one kitchen worker, but Raleigh finally had everything he needed. He waved the worker off, claiming he had places to be, and stepped out of the kitchen before he could be stopped again. He never complained about his ability to turn on the charm to get what he wanted (Yancy had called it his greatest weapon next to the puppy-dog eyes) but it sometimes led to more interaction with people than he wanted. 

The tables and chairs were set in the rec room, and a few of Gipsy’s old techs that were still around the ‘Dome had volunteered to bring the rest of what he needed while he headed to the Marshall’s office. He couldn’t help the grin that stuck with him down the hallways; this was a wonderful idea. He was also touched at the number of people who wanted to help him with the idea. Mako was currently on the hunt to bring Tendo and the two K-Science doctors to the room. He had propositioned the Kaidonovsky’s for certain hard-to-obtain supplies and naturally had extended the invitation to them as well. He hoped they would show; the two Russians had seemed rather subdued since the search and rescue team had miraculously pulled them from the harbor after the Double Event. 

Raleigh opened the door to Herc’s office slowly and beamed at the sight that met him. Chuck was, somehow, still chasing after Max, weaving under the large desk and between Herc’s long legs as he did so. The Marshall looked like he wanted to be mildly annoyed, but the smile on his face said he was anything but. 

“Hey guys.”

All three pairs of eyes turned up toward him. Raleigh’s grin spread. Chuck wandered over to him, Max in tow, and tugged lightly at his hand. He was going to have to get better at deciphering the kid’s nonverbal cues, but if he had to guess, Chuck was happy to see him.

Raleigh was glad to see Herc’s fond gaze hadn’t hardened when the Marshall squinted up at him. “You guys getting hungry at all? It’s about dinner time.”

Chuck nodded enthusiastically, even though Raleigh could have sworn he just fed the kid. Max barked as though ‘hungry’ was a word he was readily trained to respond to. Herc, however, scratched the back of his head with his pen and said, “Not sure I have the time for it, mate.”

The look on Chuck’s face was about as heartbreaking as Raleigh had expected it to be. After clearing his throat to give himself time to summon the strength, he said forcefully, “Make time, Herc.”

That got the man’s attention. The large Australian looked up slowly. Raleigh could practically see the gear’s working; Herc eyed him uncertainly, as though he was trying to figure out what the hell Raleigh was thinking. Raleigh stood his ground. He told Herc he was going to do what it took to help the two of them work through things, and he meant it, dammit. 

“It’s late,” Raleigh prompted. “You need to eat, your son needs to eat, and it looks like your dog needs to eat, too.”

Max, who was drooling slightly by his feet, choose that moment to bark helpfully and nudge Chuck toward the door. Chuck laughed and let himself be pushed by the dog’s stocky head. 

It had to have been the sound of Chuck’s laughter that finally caused Herc to sigh and say, “Alright, Raleigh. Let’s do dinner, then.”

Raleigh grinned at the victory. The night was far from over, but that was surely the most difficult part. Herc stacked his papers one last time before throwing the pen down and coming out from behind the impressive desk. Max bolted out into the hallway the second the door was opened. Chuck paused and looked expectantly up at him. Raleigh figured the kid was waiting for him to go first, but he’d do one better; he lunged and, with a loud “alley-oop!”, scooped Chuck up and balanced the kid on his shoulders. 

Chuck practically howled with laughter and gripped his hair just this side of painfully. Raleigh shifted his shoulder blades enough to seat the kid comfortably and said, “Come on, Charlie.”

The nickname went unnoticed this time as Herc closed the door and fell into step beside them. He grinned up at his son, who was positively gleeful at the fact that he was now taller than his father. Raleigh felt more elated than he had in a long time as Chuck clutched locks of blonde hair, as Max nipped playfully at his heels, and as Herc thumped him on the back after a particularly loud guffaw. It was a moment of acceptance, more so than the moment Herc had invited him to lunch his first day in the Shatterdome. It was Herc accepting what he was trying to do, trusting that Raleigh would do his best to help his son. Frankly, it was more than Raleigh had ever expected to receive from the intimidating Australian. 

He stopped to let Herc take the lead into the rec room and was rewarded with Herc’s expression the second he followed. Herc was frozen, taking the scene in with a mix of awe and what looked appreciation across his features. 

The couches and love seats had been moved to the outer edges and replaced with a large, rectangular table. A mix of seats, none which matched, were placed randomly around the edges. The silverware and plates on the table matched no better, but the set-up was welcoming. It paralleled them all, in a way; a mishmash of different ideas and personalities that somehow came together to salvage a home during a tough time. 

What made the scene, though, was the sheer amount of food placed along the middle of the table. Chicken, beans, rice and potatoes prepared what looked like three different ways each; he could see just about everybody’s favorites present, even if they didn’t necessarily complement each other in the same meal. Raleigh made a mental note to thank the Gipsy team that had arranged everything for them. He hadn’t seen this much food in one place in years. Hell, maybe even since before the war. 

Mako and Tendo were off to one side of the room. Each had a wine glass in hand and were engaged in deep conversation. Sasha and Aleksis had come through, he was pleased to see, and had set up a smaller table that held several bottles of wine, both red and white. The Russians looked up upon his entrance and raised their glasses in his direction. Newt and Herman were also present; the former ready to vibrate out of his skin with excitement because of all the food, and the latter looked as irritated as ever at his lab partner’s enthusiasm. Mako and Tendo stopped the conversation to take in Chuck seated on his shoulders, grins plastered on both their faces. He could feel the warmth of affection from every person in the room, and it strengthened him. Whatever happened with Chuck, they would all get through it together. 

Speaking of the kid, Raleigh stopped to let him down and paused when he noticed that the wide-eyed expression was back. He glanced toward Mako and Tendo, who caught the cue to nod and turn away, before he crouched to Chuck’s level and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chuck glanced around the room. Small feet scuffed shyly against the ground until those light eyes turned back up. “What’s this?”

Raleigh hoped his smile conveyed the same kind of warmth to the kid that he felt from the room. “Family dinner. Is that okay?”

Christ, the kid’s smile was practically blinding. Freckles danced under happy eyes as Chuck took his hand and promptly marched them over to the table. The other occupants of the room took hint and arranged themselves around the edges. 

Mako slipped a full glass into his hand with her signature half-smirk and raised her own. “To those we lost, and those still here.”

Her toast was met with agreeable murmuring before the guests seated themselves. Raleigh exchanged a wink with Tendo and squeezed Mako’s hand under the table.

“Thank you.”

Whether it was a result of the good mood or the wine that was currently bringing a light blush to her porcelain cheeks, he wasn’t sure, but she mimicked Tendo’s wink and replied, “I told you. Anything for you two.”

Raleigh smiled. He snuck a look up the table at everyone seated. Herman and Newt were squabbling over the remaining leg of chicken; Aleksis was already munching on the first with gusto, and it was no surprise that neither doctor wanted to fight him for it. Herc, who had already plated Chuck with way more food than the kid could eat (some of which was currently being snuck down to a slobbering Max), was now accepting a bowl full of mashed potatoes with an almost reverent expression. 

The wine Mako had handed him was a rich red and of better quality than he’d tasted in years. Trust the Russians to be able to get their hands on the good stuff. After lopping a good amount of chicken onto his own plate, he turned to pass the platter and realized he was being followed by a pair of small, wide eyes. Chuck stared at him thoughtfully, smiling around his fork, before he returned to his   
dinner. 

And as Raleigh ate and drank and enjoyed the night, one of the first nights he could remember them being joined together for something other than the war, he realized it wasn’t the feeling of contentedness that made it all worth it.

It was that smile.


	5. Halloween in the 'Dome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit of a break from the chronological storyline. I wanted to do something Halloween related for you guys, and fair warning, the resulting chapter has reached tooth-rotting fluff levels. 
> 
> Happy Halloween everyone!

It started out innocently enough, with a simple question that earned him what he considered to be the _worst_ bitch-face Chuck had ever thrown his way. Which, Raleigh considered, was saying fucking _something_ at this point in their relationship. 

“What’s that for?”

While Chuck had grown and matured on the communication front, there were still times that he reverted back to the same punk-ass attitude Raleigh saw on his first day in Hong Kong. This was the worse he’d seen it in weeks. 

“Charlie. I asked you what you wanted to be for Halloween.”

Small arms crossed. “Heard ya, Ray.”

He’d learned when to let things go when it came to Chuck. If he was so perturbed by whatever it was that he hadn’t even flinched at the nickname, then there was no way he was going to get Chuck to budge on the topic. “Fine. Just thought I’d ask.”

The week leading up to Halloween was hectic since the remaining Shatterdome personnel decided to throw a Halloween party. The last time Raleigh could remember the ‘Dome being so busy was during the preparation for Pitfall. Which he absolutely did not want to think about. So he busied himself with helping Mako set up decorations. The tall ceilings hindered her original decoration layout, especially considering her small stature, so Raleigh did his best to assist.

His headaches had subsided enough for him to feel comfortable on a ladder, but there was one day he found himself too dizzy from the height and had fallen from the fourth rung. The drop to the floor was a mercifully short one, and he hadn’t remembered actually hitting the ground. He’d felt small, warm hands roaming his face. He came to seeing wide, concerned eyes inches from his own; Chuck had dropped whatever he had been doing and had raced over to check him. 

Raleigh didn’t find it adorable. He swore he didn’t. 

After that incident, he’d been banned from all height-related activities (“I’m a grown man, Mako, you can’t ban me from—” – “Watch me, Becket.”) and had been delegated to helping plan party events. 

All that was left was finalization of the decorations and preparing his own costume. And Chuck’s. He figured this task, like most, would be delegated to him. And after the face he’d just been given, he couldn’t imagine that Herc would have had an easier time asking the kid what he wanted to be.

Herc. Raleigh guessed he could go to Herc to see what was up with Halloween. Clearly something about the holiday bothered the kid, if his sudden change in attitude was any indication. 

Even though the party was looming over them, Herc was still in his office, forearms braced on his desk as he pondered PPDC documents. He didn’t glance up upon Raleigh’s entrance but simply said, “Raleigh. Everything alright, mate?”

“Yeah.” Raleigh paused. He’d learned by now not to sound like he was accusing either Hansen of anything when it came to questions about Chuck’s childhood. But honesty was usually the easiest way to go. “I just asked Chuck what he wanted to be for Halloween—”

“Ah, bloody hell.”

So he hadn’t been imaging that something was up with the kid. 

Herc rubbed his face and continued, “’s nothing bad, mate. It’s just—” The Marshall looked down at his desk, face in hand, and Raleigh wondered for a brief moment if the man was going to cry. He regretted breaching the subject until he realized that Herc was shaking with silent laughter. After a failed attempt to pull himself together, he choked out, “Ang always made us dress up in matching Halloween costumes. Big lion and a cub, kangaroo and a joey, cute shite like that.” The memories were clearly fond ones. “Kid absolutely _hated_ it every year. I’m pretty sure that bitch-face he’s got developed from years of this. The photos every year were priceless; you’d think we were abusing the kid, he looked so unhappy. One year I suggested we stop, but Ang said there was no way she was missing out on her yearly laugh.”

Raleigh felt himself shaking with laughter as well. “That explains the epic bitch-face I got when I just asked him about it.”

The elder Hansen leaned back in his chair and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “If you want advice, I’d say either tell the kid he can pick his own costume or leave it be.”

It was Raleigh’s turn to rub his chin in thought. “Thanks, Herc.” As he left the office, he pondered what the man had said. While it seemed that Halloween wasn’t necessarily a bad spot in Chuck’s life, the kid probably resented never being able to be what he wanted to be. And privately, he assumed Chuck probably associated Halloween with his mother and therefore was in no mood to discuss it. 

Well that wouldn’t do. He’d have to see what he could do to change that.

 

 

For the time being, Raleigh let the subject go, even after mentioning that Chuck could pick his own costume. The kid made no indication of wanting to change his mind about the holiday as the week progressed, and before either of them knew it, the day was upon them. Raleigh awoke early and, being careful not to disturb the softly-snoring kid, slipped out to help Mako finalize the party plans. 

She was already dressed in anticipation that she would be too busy with party planning to change later. Raleigh grinned at the hue meeting him as she turned; her blue streaks had been intensified, and a few more added to her normally dark hair. The blue eye make-up was just downright impressive, in his opinion, and her outfit, what looked like a robe strategically ripped and also dyed blue, was just as cool.

“Let me guess; you're kaiju blue?”

Her signature half-smile was out. “Not in bad taste, I hope?”

He laughed as she gave a quick twirl for full effect. “You look good. Anything left to do before the party starts?”

“No, but thank you.” Mako bowed slightly. “Where is your costume?”

Raleigh tossed her a casual wink. “You’ll see. I’m hoping to entice Chuck to join in on the festivities.”

Mako’s next look was one she usually reserved for when she was lecturing him on a lost cause, but he didn’t let it deter him. He’d thought through this plan; there was no way it could fail. 

He stopped by Herc and Chuck’s bunk, grateful that he still had the door code. Though kid-Chuck had been supplied with a good amount of clothes for his new stature, all his old clothes still resided in the bunk. Which was exactly what Raleigh was after. He rummaged through Chuck’s closet; he was sure the ginger would be angry that he was going through his personal things, so Raleigh carefully avoided anything except for the hanging clothes. 

Raleigh found what he was looking for with ease. He shrugged one of Chuck’s muted gray standard-issue t-shirts over his head. Surprisingly, he didn’t fill it out nearly as well as the kid himself. The pants fit almost the same, though. Results of years of buildup of muscle from piloting, he supposed. The boots were also a near fit, too, and he gave himself a cursory glance in the mirror. The metal from the boots gleamed back at him as he turned for a side view. Not bad. All he needed was his very best scowl and– 

The last thing to pull the outfit together hung in the front of the closet. Like it was displayed center view, and Raleigh could appreciate why. The bomber jacket most pilots owned adorned with their girls’ name or team symbol and the intricate stitch work denoting how many kaiju fell at their hand was definitely something that deserved to be on display. Chuck hadn’t worn the impressive jacket since before Pitfall. He could guess why, but it still didn’t make the jacket any less great. It also worked to his advantage, because Chuck hadn’t noticed the two new icons stitched on, denoting two of the three Pitfall kaiju. Raleigh shrugged it on, revealing in the touch of the leather and the musky scent that was undeniably Chuck. For the first time since the event, he kind-of missed the adult Chuck. Maybe if Newt solved this, he would get the same chance to get to know Chuck-the-adult as well as he was getting to know Chuck-the-kid. 

He turned once again, eyeing the bulldog chewing the rocket staring back at him with a chuckle. Yeah, this would be a great costume. There was still something missing, though. Raleigh frowned until he pushed past the rest of the hanging shirts and pulled out Chuck’s cap. He grinned and pulled the hat over his head, being careful to tuck his blonde locks under the edge before he tipped it forward just over his eyes. 

Now, he looked almost like he could be the kid. Although he was going to have to work on his military strut rather than walking about the ‘Dome with his usual swagger. 

And his bitch-face. That probably needed some work. 

 

 

By the time he made his way back to his own bunk and edged the door open, Chuck was still in bed. Raleigh could just see the slightest bit of ginger mop sticking up from the cocoon of blankets to indicate so. He smiled. The kid had likely resigned to staying under the blankets to avoid the holiday. He hoped his costume choice would change the kid’s mind. 

“Hey, Charlie.”

A grumbling response emerged from the encasement of blankets. 

“Come on, kid. It’s time to get up. The party’s gonna start soon.”

Another grumble.

“You’re gonna miss a good time.” Raleigh wandered further into the room and approached the sink mirror to give himself another once-over. “Halloween’s not a bad holiday. You get to be anyone you want for a whole day! I know I’m taking advantage of that.” He paused; there seemed to be no interest from what was essentially a nest so far. “I get to be the best jaeger pilot the world’s ever seen today.”

There was a slight pause, and then he could hear the unmistakable sound of fabric moving. He waited patiently, still pretending to be examining his makeshift costume in the mirror. The sound of padding feet followed the fabric, until he felt a small tug on one jacket sleeve. 

Raleigh glanced down and smiled, warmed by the sight he was met with. The kid’s bedhead had reached ridiculous proportions; ginger clumps stuck up at odd angles. Chuck’s expression was open but shy. He was staring at the jacket, but as Raleigh crouched, Chuck met his gaze. 

His feet scuffed the floor. It was the kid’s signature move whenever he was nervous or uncertain of something. “You’re me.” Chuck sounded surprised.

Raleigh grinned easily at him and reached over to smooth some of the flyaway hair. “I told you; today, I’m the best jaeger pilot in the world.”

The uncertainty was replaced by a pleased smile as Chuck ducked away from his hand. Raleigh turned for the kid to see the portion with the stitching, and the kid positively beamed when he noticed the new ones. Small fingers traced the patterns until he glanced at Raleigh again. “Okay.”

He sat back on the heels of the boots. “Okay what?”

The shyness was back, but Chuck finally met his gaze confidently and announced, “I wanna dress up. For Halloween. I wanna be the best, too!”

Mission accomplished. Raleigh let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He nodded approvingly. “Alright. Do you need your clothes from your bunk?”

“Mmn.” The kid nodded and glanced at the shiny tops of the boots.

“Alright.” Raleigh stood and straightened his back. “I’ll go see what I can scrounge up. Something in there’s gotta fit you.”

He retreated from the bunk. This was going far better than expected. He should have figured the brat would want to be himself for Halloween, he thought fondly. Although Chuck was really moving forward if he was fine matching costumes with Raleigh. He thought the memories of being forced to match Herc would have wanted him to pick anything other than what Raleigh was wearing. 

After picking out more of adult-Chuck’s wardrobe that he might be able to cut down to size, he raced back down the hall. He was glad that the kid had changed his mind, but there wasn’t a lot of time to work with now. 

The door swung open with ease. Raleigh stepped into the bunk. “Alright, kiddo, I’ve got some things—”

He froze in the doorway. 

His heart shot straight up into his throat. The scrawling, looping letters staring back at him made him drop his jaw in shock. He hadn’t seen them in years since they’d been tucked away in both the folds of his closet and the folds of his mind. Hadn’t seen them since he was looking at the matching set mirrored back at him, hanging on a broad and infinitely reassuring stance. Hadn’t seen them since they were cloaking a warm and familiar frame that shoved playfully against his or hugged him just a bit too tight. 

Chuck was examining himself in the sink mirror. The kid had been practically swallowed by the old Gipsy bomber jacket. He’d even changed into a green shirt and green pants that mimicked their old jumpsuits. Raleigh felt like Gipsy’s foot was settled on his chest; he could barely breathe when he saw the kills embroidered above the right pocket, painfully aware that they stopped before Knifehead. But when Chuck turned to face him, his eyes bright with excitement and his smile threatening to split the small, freckled face, he exhaled, suddenly at peace with the war waging inside him. 

The kid’s face fell when he noticed Raleigh’s expression. “Did I… Did I do something wrong?”

Raleigh shook his head and headed over. “No, kid.” He crouched to Chuck’s level once again, straightening the collar of the jacket for him. With a soft smile, he added, “So, all the things you could choose to be, you want to be Gipsy’s pilot for a day?”

Chuck shook his head vigorously. “Told you, I wanted to be the best jaeger pilot, too.”

Raleigh was completely blindsided. The kid meant him. The days of contempt, the constant sneering and looks of disgust, and the colorful phrases used to describe how much of a has-been he was flashed through his mind momentarily. This was the same Chuck who’d done all those things. That Chuck was finally admitting in a moment of honesty that he had looked up to Raleigh. Still looked up to Raleigh, if the excitement on the kid’s face was anything to go by. He thought of the kid following he and Yancy’s trip through the academy, of him keeping up with their fights, and of him cheering them on as enthusiastically as when he’d told Gipsy to kick Leatherback’s ass. 

He’d never felt so proud to be a part of Gipsy’s team. He struggled to hold back a tear or two. “Guess we can both be the world’s best pilots together.” Chuck’s responding smile was practically blinding. When he wasn’t being a difficult shit, Chuck could communicate quite well. His question as to whether this was okay was proof of that. “Come on. Let’s get to the party.”

They arrived shortly after the bulk of the guests, which meant they had a good-sized audience for their arrival. Raleigh grinned and Chuck blushed, but the kid was more than happy to be whisked off to get candy while some of the Gipsy techs fawned over him. 

Mako appeared at Raleigh’s side, smiling as she looked him up and down. “Not bad.”

“What, this fuckin’ thing?” He did his best to drawl out a purposefully horrendous Australian accent. “Just here for a minute, gotta throw some shrimp on the barbie later, mate.”

“Son.” A rather large hand clapped forcefully over one of his shoulders. “Might wanna re-think that. Those of us actually from the homeland know about seventeen ways to kill you, and have access to hundreds of animals more than willing to get rid of the evidence.”

Raleigh grinned apologetically at Herc. The large Australian stared back until he finally caved and broke into a grin of his own. He was almost unrecognizable in what was unmistakably a cowboy costume. The toothy grin looked somehow more menacing under the brim of a cowboy hat. 

“But, uh, thanks mate. For…” Herc gestured toward Chuck, who was currently being showered with candy and was grinning wide enough to light up the whole room. “Don’t think I’ve seen him enjoy Halloween this much ever.”

“No problem, Herc.” 

And it wasn’t a problem at all. It still wasn’t a problem when Chuck had eaten enough candy to grumble his way through the rest of the party due to the resulting stomach ache. It wasn’t a problem when the inevitable crash from the sugar rush left Raleigh carrying the kid, heavy with the bulk of the bomber jacket, until he could excuse himself from the party early. And it still wasn’t a problem when he laid the kid down for bed, watching as Chuck cocooned himself in the warmth of the jacket instead of the blankets.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt makes some caffeine-fueled realizations, Raleigh does everything but get to sleep, and Chuck gets himself into trouble. Just another day in the life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chronologically, this chapter follows the events of Chapter 4, not the Halloween party. That was just a cute added moment.
> 
> Also, I am SO SORRY it's taken me so long to update. I'll just leave this here for you guys... with some apology cookies...

Once dinner died down and Chuck was soundly snoring in Herc’s large arms, the party had packed up and Raleigh found himself with free time for the first time since the ordeal began. A weird feeling blossomed in his chest at the prospect of being separated from the kid for the night, but he retired to his room to pick up a good book and settle in for the nightly insomnia. 

Struggling to fall asleep for yet another night wasn’t as much of an issue as he was expecting; a sudden beeping from his bedside table jerked him from deep thought. His tablet. Who in the fuck was messaging him at this time? Since Pitfall, most of the personnel had slipped back into their old sleep and work patterns, waking early in the morning and retiring early in the evening. How, he had no clue. The seriousness of needing to be awake for the kaiju at any moment hadn’t subsided. He doubted it ever would, not with Yancy’s voice still tearing through his dreams and the vivid, too-bright color of the other dimension still stained on his eyelids. 

Another ping notified him that he had a pending message. And one glance at the amount of capital letters told him that it had to be from Newt.

DUDE get DOWN TO THE LAB something came up. Must talk.

Jesus. Guy even managed to sound like a spaz over text. 

Raleigh heaved himself out of bed and threw on the nearest pair of pants. Might as well see what this was about if he wasn’t going to be sleeping anytime soon. 

The halls of the Shatterdome were dark and eerily quiet, just like he was used to. Times like this reminded him of the Icebox, of passing sleepless nights with Yancy, of moments he hadn’t known weren’t going to last. 

He rounded the corner to the K-Science lab and stopped short. 

Newt skirting around the lab (there wasn’t any other word for what the guy was doing) in a blur was a work of art. Coffee cups grabbed up were placed haphazardly on table corners, only to be saved at the last second from falling to certain demise before finding footing on other surfaces. Papers whisked up by the wind the scientist was making with his movement decorated the air. Machines beeped in time with his jerky movements, and as Newt turned and finally caught sight of him, he jumped.

“Jesus shit, man, warn a guy!” Newt paused for a fraction of a second to compose himself, and then pivoted back for the last precariously perched coffee. “SO—!”

Raleigh jumped involuntarily. He opened his mouth to speak– 

Only to have the jumpy, Chihuahua-like K-scientist verbally bowl him over. “So I knew there had to be a chance to find answers in the remains, and I spent all night last night examining them—” (which explained all the coffee) –“to no avail, which woulda been really shitty if I hadn’t thought of something else, so I did one of the first unreasonable things that came to mind because in a situation like this, there’s no way anything something rational could be the answer, and sure enough when I checked there was _leftover residue_ from the mist trapped in the air vent!”

The information had been spewed in one rushed, breathless gasp. Raleigh was only half-sure it was all in English. He blinked in response. “Uh—” 

“SO!” (He definitely jumped again) Newt launched into another sentence without giving him a chance to format a coherent question. “I took a sample of that stuff and it looked pretty viable until I looked at it under the scope—” 

Raleigh sighed in disappointment.

“UNTIL–”

He jumped again and this time lunged. His hands grasped Newt’s scrawny, ink-riddled arms and shook the caffeinated scientist lightly. “NEWT! For fuck’s sake, just… calm down and tell me what it is you need to tell me.”

At that prompting, Newt looked confused as he took a deep breath. Fucker had probably been forgetting to breathe this entire time. “Right. Sorry, I just… Anyway. Under the scope, the samples were even more viable than I thought. So I ran some tests, and it turns out, it’s like a type of camouflage.”

Once Newt stopped talking, Raleigh realized he was still holding the guy. Yikes. He dropped his hands and rubbed his face. “Come again?”

“Another defense mechanism. Like what Herm was talking about during Pitfall?”

A small, “Don’t call me that!” floated over from the other side of the lab. 

Newt picked up a particular piece of paper and gave it another cursory glance. “Right. So this kaiju was programmed to release a type of toxin when triggered. Not like a, you-come-near-me-and-I’ll-kill-you toxin, but a toxin designed to trigger something in the kaiju’s own DNA. A retreat option, if you will. It would react with something in its DNA to trigger a mutation bringing it down to a far smaller size, enabling it to escape a bad situation without detection. I guess it affected on Chuck because he was standing too close.”

“So…” Raleigh frowned. “So it doesn’t work on just kaiju DNA?” 

“Man, I’m not sure.” Newt seemed to deflate for the first time that night. “Kaiju science isn’t exactly an accurate thing yet and this is brand new. I’m kinda going in blind here.”

“Right. Sorry.”

The scientist took his apology in stride. “Right. So I know for sure it’s not something deadly. And at the very least, it’s something that wasn’t meant to hurt in the first place. And by that logic, it wasn’t meant to be a permanent thing, either. I just need to figure out whether it’ll pass over time, or if there was supposed to be something else triggered in order for the change to wear off. I still have the remains good old Chuckles was ass-deep in, so I’ll keep chugging away at that.”

“Alright.” Raleigh considered clapping the good scientist on the shoulder in solidarity but thought better of it when he realized that Newt was wearing the same clothes he was when this whole thing started. “Thanks for the update. Keep ‘em coming, man.”

 

 

Sleep came no easier after Newt’s startling, coffee-fueled revelation, so he wandered over toward Mako’s room. It was close enough to what normal working-people called morning; Raleigh figured she would be awake soon. Sure enough, as he approached her door, it opened with a familiar clang. Mako stepped out, dressed in the usual PPDC blues. Meaning she had a meeting or five today. 

She turned slowly and greeted him with a small smile. “I never expected to see you up so early. Coming to work with me today?”

Raleigh was startled into a laugh. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised that even now, at ass-o’clock in the morning, after he hadn’t slept a wink, she could still bring a laugh out of him. “Not a chance in hell, Mako. Unless you’re offering to swap jobs for the day?”

Her lips twitched further. God, the smirk. He swore she’d learned more from Yancy in the Drift than she’d learned from him. “As much as I would love to swindle you in a deal that unfair, I do have a meeting that I cannot miss.”

“Aw, Mako. I knew one day you’d stop taking advantage of poor little old me.” Despite the teasing banter, he faltered once she took her first few steps down the hall. “I, uh… Mako, I don’t know what to do here.”

She shot him a prying look he was well acquainted with. “What do you mean?”

“It’s Chuck. I know I’m doing my best, and God I hope the kid knows that too because if not, I’m sure I got a real back-of-the-head punch coming when he’s better,” Raleigh chuckled. “But Mako, what the hell am I even doing here?”

“You are doing everything you should be.” Her tone took on the steely edge she reserved for when she was particularly passionate about something; he hadn’t heard it since the last meeting he’d attended, when she had yet again put someone in their place who questioned the actions of the PPDC after the end of the UN support so long ago. “There is nothing you can do until Dr. Geisler produces a viable solution. For now, you are doing everything to keep Chuck safe and make him feel secure despite what has happened to him. Nobody could ask for more.”

“I… yeah.” He fell short. “Thanks, Mako.”

He had just about made it back to his room, finally ready to retire for what would be a short but much-needed sleep, when he ran headlong into Herc. Shit, he must be really out of it if he hadn’t noticed the two hundred pounds of Australian lurking outside his door. 

“Chuck’s missing.” Herc didn’t even bother with pleasantries. 

“I… what?” Christ, he hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep for this. “You lost your son?”

It was too late to realize how shitty that phrasing was; Herc practically flinched away from him. “He fucking took off first thing this morning.” He ran a hand through his short hair and gave a bone-weary sigh. “I was asleep. I know ‘s not an excuse; I’m a parent, not an idiot.”

“Sorry, Herc. I know that.” Here he was making things worse after promising to do his best to make things better between the father and son. What they needed was a game plan, not the blame game. “Have you checked anywhere yet?” At Herc’s head shake, he added, “Alright. First place he would go would be the mess, right? Kid acts like nobody ever fucking feeds him.”

Herc managed a weak smile. “Right. Come on.”

Although he wanted more than anyone else (besides Herc, of course) to make sure that Chuck was safe, there was nowhere Raleigh wanted to be other than back in his own bed. But the day seemed to have other plans for him. He followed the Marshall on a warpath to the mess hall and waited as Herc did his best to hold himself back from flat-out interrogating the kitchen crew. One sweep of the hall proved to Raleigh that the kid was, indeed, not present. Loccent was empty as well, and as Raleigh dragged his feet behind Herc’s impressive strides, he found himself getting honestly worried. 

Herc stopped short and punched the wall in frustration. Split knuckles seemed to be the furthest problem from his mind. 

If Raleigh allowed it, Herc would get worked up into a headspace that wouldn’t be helpful to the cause. He was having a hard time thinking; if Herc followed suit, finding Chuck was a lost cause. “Think, Herc. What happened the last time you couldn’t find him?”

“The last…?” Herc trailed off, then rubbed his face. Shock overtook the features for a second before he took off running. 

There was a moments pause during which Raleigh had to catch up to Herc’s response, followed by him sprinting after the Marshall. “Herc, what the hell?”

“The last bloody time I couldn’t find him he was on _the goddamn roof_!”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Like the kid wasn’t enough of a pain in the ass when he was adult-sized. 

They tore into the jaeger bay. Raleigh glanced around frantically. There was only one way up to the roof; an escape hatch reachable by a precarious lift from the catwalk. But as his eyes travelled upwards, Raleigh grabbed Herc’s arm to stop the extra-large Australian from booking it again.

“Herc, there!” 

A pair of feet was visible swinging from the catwalk. 

Of course. The kid was sitting at the highest point of the jaeger bay, enjoying himself like they hadn’t spent the better part of the morning frantically looking for him. 

If he had thought about having kids before, his sleep-deprived mind was now absolutely screaming at him to consider all options but that. 

The thudding of footsteps alerted him to Herc moving toward the nearest access ladder. Guy probably had it covered, so there was no use following. Soon, he would be back in his room, basking in the quiet opportunity for sleep. He hoped that would feel half as good as he was expecting. 

Creaking metal was a common sound in the jaeger bay, but it seemed louder than usual today. Probably rattling around his sleep-muddled brain due to the exhaustion. In fact, his headache seemed to be pounding in time with the creaking. 

Except it was only getting louder. 

Raleigh glanced up again. Herc had made it pretty far up, but he still had a ways to go. From the look of things, he was trying to communicate with the much smaller Hansen. Chuck was leaning over the metal railing in an attempt to hear his father. The creaking only multiplied. 

Everything finally caught up to him. “Chuck! CHUCK! Stop leaning, get back!” 

His voice echoed violently off the empty walls, but it had taken him too damn long to reach this conclusion. Chuck stretched another inch too far. The groan of agitated metal, followed by a loud snap, sounded as the kid tilted forward over the edge. 

“HERC!” 

The Marshall reached in a valiant effort, but the inferior catwalk wasn’t close enough; strong fingers caught Chuck’s shirt for a few precious seconds before his grip faltered and his son plummeted.

Raleigh raced forward. Herc’s shouts were drowned out by the roaring in his ears. He was more awake now than ever, heart pounding in his chest as though it wanted to do something, anything, to free itself from his chest and help the kid itself. He stopped short under the walkway and braced himself, tilting his body to provide the largest target, holding his arms out in what he desperately hoped was the right way. 

About forty pounds slammed into his chest, assaulting everything from his sternum to his solar plexus, forcing what felt like his current air and the air he’d be breathing next week from his lungs in one painful rush. 

A small hand prodded his face. Raleigh blinked. The cold, unforgiving floor was at his back. And he took back every curse he’d been mentally shouting at his earlier headache, because now, his head felt like it was ready to split open. Two fingers to the back of his head that emerged bloody told him he might be right. 

The kid’s weight had taken him clean to the floor. And likely given him a concussion, based on the confusion he was fighting through. But as he propped himself up on his elbows and looked into wide, relieved eyes, he felt a small wave of his own relief. 

“You okay, kiddo?”

Chuck nodded. A glance at the blood on Raleigh’s fingers was the push the kid needed to completely dissolve into tears. 

And if that wasn’t bad enough–

“CHUCK!”

Herc sounded positively murderous. Considering how he usually sounded, this was horrifyingly impressive. Even Raleigh shrank back as he skidded to a halt by them. Herc grabbed Chuck up in his arms, stopping only to give the kid a once-over to check his vitals, before he enveloped the kid in a tight hug.

“The fuck were you thinking, kid?” Herc’s low whisper was edged with tears of his own. “You could have gotten yourself killed. I know you’re smarter than that!”

Raleigh had no idea how Herc could take in the kid’s wavering lower lip without breaking his angry glare. His own heart was breaking for the kid. Oh, he’d be sure to pummel the kid good when he was finally back to adult size as payback, but for now, he felt nothing but sympathy for the miniature Hansen. 

Shit. He had it bad.

“Just wanted to have some fun…” Tears stained the fabric covering Herc’s broad shoulder as Chuck folded himself into the space there. “I didn’t know…” The small voice broke again. “’m sorry. I really am.”

Herc sighed and ran his hand soothingly through the ginger mop. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t know what the hell I’d do if something happened to you, kid.”

Maybe it was the concussion talking, or probably the exhaustion, but Raleigh let his head fall back and said, “I’m fine, really. Thanks for the concern.”

An eyeroll from Herc before he reached out a hand and helped him up. “Sorry, mate, but you’re still alive, right? Coulda been worse.”

He clutched the back of his head. “Oh yeah. So much worse. Can’t imagine how else that could have gone down.” But when Chuck reached out and put a hand to his cheek, bright gray eyes searching his own for something, he softened. “I’ll be fine, kid. You’re lucky I was here.” He took the hand into his own, noting briefly just how small and fragile it was. He never expected to see his sort-of nemesis in this light. “I’m glad I was here. Don’t do something like this again, alright? I can’t always be here.”

Chuck nodded vigorously. If anything, the guilt would prevent him from doing anything this stupid again. He didn’t need the scolding from him or Herc, but the two of them still felt better doing so.

Herc clapped a hand to his shoulder; it was becoming a regular thing, but this time, it made him wince. The pain thrumming through his head didn’t appreciate it at all. “Let’s get you to medical, you bloody drongo.”

“Again. Thanks so much for the concern.”


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another short chapter to keep you guys going. And to work on the Raleigh / Chuck relationship and how it's changed since Chuck has. Hope you enjoy!

Herc’s good will extended long enough to walk him to medical, where he promptly abandoned Raleigh with Chuck the second the doctor arrived. Cheeky fucker. So Raleigh was left to be examined and tested while a very squirmy four-year-old climbed all over his shoulders. 

He swore the kid was taking full advantage of both his size and ability to act like the child he really was. 

The doctor explained, while Raleigh swatted Chuck’s leg away from his face, that yes, he absolutely did have a concussion, and shouldn’t strain himself too much. He was all too grateful to take the doctor’s orders of bedrest, except for when the whitecoat grabbed his arm on the way out of the room.

“Remember,” the doctor stressed,” you’ve got to stay awake.”

“What?” Raleigh wasn’t dumb, he knew from plenty of past experiences (thanks, Yancy) that concussions occurred meant staying up to deal with the side effects. But after a long night of not sleeping, a Newt-filled spastic morning, and the near-heart attack of dealing with Chuck’s escape made him want to do nothing but sleep. “Shit. Fine.” The doctor glanced at Chuck, slightly offended that he was cursing in front of a child, no doubt. Raleigh rolled his eyes and grabbed Chuck by his middle, hoisting the kid by his side like a bag of potatoes. “Come on, you little shit.”

“Ray!” Chuck did his best to struggle, but Raleigh fought his advances easily and grinned. 

Shit, if he knew shrinking the kid would give him this much more of an advantage in a fight, he’d have told Newt to do so weeks ago.

“Put me down!”

Trusting that Herc wouldn’t freak out and would assume that Chuck was him, Raleigh opted to head straight for his bunk. There wasn’t much to do there in the way of entertainment, but it was a finite space that his very tired and still-slightly-confused brain could keep track of the excitable kid in. Because for some reason, Chuck picked today of all days to become fidgety. 

Little bastard. He was doing it on purpose. Raleigh was convinced. 

At the very least, he could put on a movie. Just something to hold the two of them over until Raleigh could pass the kid back and get some much-needed sleep. 

Chuck had given up his ministrations and simply hung in Raleigh’s grasp, arms crossed, and no, Raleigh didn’t find the pout adorable. He punched in the code and dropped the kid to his feet once the door was safely closed behind them. 

“Hey, hey! Kid.” Raleigh crouched, noting the pop in his knees with a face, bringing himself to Chuck’s level. “I need you to stay in this room with me. Can you do that?”

Thank God, Chuck met his gaze with those wide, green eyes and nodded solemnly. “’Kay.”

“Okay.” Raleigh kept his gaze for a few seconds more and nodded. Chances were, he wasn’t going to bolt, but still. The kid’s close call from the morning made him more on edge. He wasn’t sure if the kid was trying to be a little shit on purpose, or if regressing to that age had actually made him marginally less smart. 

His head hurt way too much for big words like that. 

After fixing up the system in his room to que up movies (starting with some action movie he hadn’t heard of that promised lots of explosions, to keep Chuck’s interest), Raleigh finally collapsed backward into his bed. While not the most comfortable he’d ever slept in, today, the sheets felt soft and inviting, the blankets sucking him in and the pillows holding him down. 

It took his concussed-mind a few minutes to realize Chuck was standing where he’d been placed, wide-eyes now fixed on the movie. Why the kid was still standing, he didn’t realize, when—

Shit. He’d lent his desk chair to Tendo. 

“Come on, kid,” he groused form the blanket nest. 

Chuck turned, his expression open enough to convey the surprise the kid was feeling. 

“You can come up here and sit with me.”

That was apparently all the invitation Chuck needed. He toed his shoes off and kicked them to the corner enthusiastically before jumping up onto the bed. Raleigh kicked his legs closer to the wall, hoping there would be enough room. He hadn’t been expecting company and felt ill-prepared. But Chuck settled back against his legs comfortably, kicking his own small ones off the edge of the bed. The movement didn’t bother Raleigh; in fact, there was something calming about the kid’s presence, his permanence against Raleigh something to be grateful for. 

To his surprise, Chuck sat quietly through the movie, save for the few times he laughed during explosions or during a particularly brutally kill. Raleigh hoped absentmindedly that the kid still had all of his memories; Herc would kill him if he exposed his son to violence before Herc himself had the chance. 

Just how much Chuck was aware became evident when Raleigh began nodding off during the first movie. Sue him, the nest of blankets he’d surrounded himself with was comfy, and Chuck’s occasional chuckling was a rhythmic distraction. So he let his eyelids droop. And droop they did, until he hadn’t realized he was drifting slowly into what would hopefully be a good sleep.

The soft tautness of a small palm smacked the cheek he’d left uncovered. Raleigh sat bolt upright, years of abiding by a kaiju-alarm readily ingrained in his mind. When he glanced around and noticed that the only thing that had changed was Chuck’s positioning, he swore.

“The hell was that for, kid?!” He rubbed his face gingerly. Kid or not, Chuck could still pack a wallop when he wanted. 

Those wide eyes glanced at him like _he_ was being the ridiculous one. Chuck’s attention returned to the movie, but he said, “Told you to stay up.”

“I…what?”

“The doctor.” Yeah, the kid’s tone _definitely_ sounded like he was being the stupid one. “Told you to stay up. Remember ‘cussions from when I came up. Not good. Gotta stay awake, Ray.”

Oh. The kid must have been talking about coming up from Striker, when Pentecost had ejected him into the jaeger’s lone escape pod. Concussion had been the least of his worries, but it was clear the kid was worried about it now.

Worried about him. 

“You’re right.” Raleigh shot him a crooked grin from under his blanket. “I’m sorry, kiddo. Tell me about the movie.”

Chuck launched into a juvenilely-worded but adult-interpreted description of the half of the movie he’d missed. The kid’s thought process was a work of art; the wildly intelligent Chuck’s thoughts on something even as simple as an action movie was astounding to hear out of a four-year-old’s mouth, even if he sometimes had difficulty pronouncing some of the words he was thinking of.

Again. Not something Raleigh found adorable. 

The second movie seemed to be something less fast-paced. Not a good thing, considering how much of a hard time Raleigh was already having staying awake. 

The kids’ hand settled on his leg. “Why’s Herc suddenly here?”

The question jolted Raleigh back out of his exhausted state. He sat up again, careful to prop himself up on his elbows to not upset Chuck’s comfortable position. “What do you mean, kiddo?”

Chuck kicked his feet again, looking sullenly at his toes. “Been so busy with work stuff. Why was he around today?”

 _Oh, Chuck_. Raleigh rubbed his face. The earnest tone was tugging at his heart. He was probably asking in general, not just Herc’s recent ministrations with the PPDC as a new acting Marshall. Raleigh couldn’t speak for Herc’s actions, especially not the ones that occurred before he’d even met the Hansens, but… He’d promised to try, hadn’t he?

Raleigh scooted up closer and tossed the end of his blankets over the kid. Chuck snuggled into it; Christ, he didn’t seem to have any problem acting and speaking honest in this form. Maybe it was the concussion, or the kid’s earnest tone, but either way, he ruffled a hand through Chuck’s hair fondly and said, “He was around because he cares about you. He always has.”

Chuck scrunched his face up. 

“I mean it, kid. Whatever he’s done, I know he did it with your best interests at heart.” Raleigh’s fingers still carded through the kid’s ginger locks absentmindedly. “And even if he fucked up then, well… Isn’t now his chance to right that?”

“’s not that easy.” Chuck tugged at the frayed end of the blanket uncertainly. 

“But it could be,” Raleigh pursued. “I mean, think about it; you’re having this conversation with me. Me, of all people. Hell, kid, the other week, were at each other’s throats. And now you want to ask me about what’s going on with your relationship with your father.”

The kid jerked in surprise, as though he hadn’t realized that yes, he was asking Raleigh Becket for advice. He paused, like he was definitely thinking about it now, and then settled a hand back on Raleigh’s leg. “Lots of bad times, bad…”

“I’m not asking you to forget those bad times. I’m asking for you to at least keep an open mind with what he’s doing now. It might be different than how things turned out then. After all,” Raleigh teased, “he was willing to climb the catwalk in the jaeger bay for your stupid ass.”

“Wasn’ stupid!” The tips of Chuck’s ears flushed bright red. 

Raleigh lightly punched his arm to take the sting out of his words. “I know, kid. Believe me, I got into a lot more stupid shit than you did when I was a kid.”

“I’m sure.”

“Hey!” But Raleigh couldn’t help grin at the kid’s own shit-eating grin. “Just… watch the movie, you little punk.”

He settled back down, finally paying attention to the guy on screen lighting up what had to be (he hoped to be) the antagonists of the movie. And when he finally passed the hour mark to make sure there were no complications to his concussion and he settled back down into the pillows, and Chuck settled against his side, a welcome and warm anchor next to him, he tried to imagine a time he was half as comfortable until he drifted off to sleep. 

 

 

This… was absolutely the way to wake up, Raleigh decided. He was still coddled between blankets and pillows, enjoying the warmth he was surrounded with as he stretched and opened his eyes. The movies had stopped, the system displaying a message asking him if he wanted to continue watching. He grumbled and rubbed at one eye; no matter what time it was, it was still too early for him to be awake. Judging by how well he slept last night, anyway. 

The metal door creaked. Raleigh glanced that way to see Herc sliding slowly into the room. The elder Hansen paused upon meeting Raleigh’s gaze. 

Raleigh was suddenly aware of a particularly warm presence by his side. Chuck was wrapped in the blankets around them, but more wrapped around Raleigh’s middle. The small arms, unable to wrap around his back, stretched to his sides, where small hands grasped the thin cloth of his shirt. Chuck’s face was pressed just between his collarbones, small breaths ghosting against the skin there. 

Shit. He must have been really asleep not to notice Chuck pressed against his front earlier. 

But Herc simply took the sight in and nodded slightly, more of a jerk of the head than anything else, before he slowly backed out of the room, a slight smile playing over that usually serious mouth. 

He hadn’t expected to keep Chuck all night, but. The kid was at least here and not off wandering the halls of the ‘dome, he figured. And he was still keeping the kid out of Herc’s hair, as he’d promised. He thought back on the conversation of the previous night. It was amazing that he had confided in Raleigh in that way; Raleigh wasn’t kidding when he pointed out the fact that not weeks ago, they’d both been prepared to beat the shit out of each other to prove mutually stupid points. Last night was a step in the right direction that he hoped would continue forward. 

If he wanted any chance at helping the Hansen relations, he was going to have to count on it.

And if Chuck staying in his bunk had to continue for that to happen, well…

Raleigh scuffed the kid’s hair gently again and settled into the warmth of the blanket nest. He certainly wouldn’t complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I just wanted to thank all of you still following and subscribing to this fic! I really appreciate all of you and hope you're enjoying the ride. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please feel free to leave them!


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is significantly less Raleigh&Chuck centered, because I do want to give Chuck and Herc the opportunity for more growth, even if we don't see much of it yet. Those of you still following the updates, thank you so much for all the kudos and the love! I'm glad people are still enjoying this fic. Regular updates are hard to keep with the amount of work that keeps piling up, but I will do my best to keep updating. And once the holiday season really picks up, I'll have more time to dedicate to this. 
> 
> Also, I broke 100,000 words on AO3 with this chapter, so *throws confetti* thanks to all of you that inspire me to keep writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

“Herc—”

“Nah, mate.”

“I’m serious, Herc, would you just—” Raleigh broke off long enough to grasp the bicep of the large Australian in front of him. 

Said Australian turned slowly toward him, eyeing the hand on his arm the entire time. Every ounce of the guy seeped hostility; so much so that the hairs on the back of Raleigh’s neck took notice. He released his grip when that steely gaze didn’t change. Herc’s gaze was pensive, not murderous, though. “Nah, mate. I see how it is. Little bugger would rather spend time with you.”

“Herc—” Raleigh couldn’t help his eyes rolling toward his scalp. Neither Hansen knew how to act like an adult, he was convinced. “This isn’t about who the kid wants to snuggle with, for fuck’s sake. We had a conversation about _you_ last night.”

“Oi?” Herc looked genuinely surprised. 

That had been nothing compared to Raleigh’s surprise of waking for the second time that day to a slightly bigger Chuck wrapped more securely around his frame. It was a noticeable enough change in size to have Raleigh confused, though he managed to keep that confusion under wraps enough to allow the snoozing kid to keep snoozing. 

He kept it under wraps better than Herc was doing now, anyway. 

“The kid doesn’t understand why you’re suddenly interested in his life,” Raleigh supplied. “Ignoring exactly why that bothers the kid – which is something the both of you should really bring up in therapy, man – he was confused as to why you’re suddenly interested in his well-being after you’ve spent the past few weeks immersing yourself in Marshall bullshit.”

“It’s…” The _my job_ died in Herc’s throat; he knew well enough by now that excuse didn’t fly for shit. Or rather, shouldn’t have. Even if it had for so many years before. “Yeah, shit…” Herc rubbed a hand over his jaw in thought. “That’s valid, I ‘spose.” 

It was… a start, he supposed. Raleigh ran a hand through his hair (his bedhead, who was he kidding). “I know, Herc. I’m as fucked up about this as the two of you are. But last night, he admitted to me that he’s confused as to why you’re coming to him trying to help, considering how things went in the past.” Before Herc could interrupt, Raleigh held up his hands in what he hoped was a submissive gesture and added, “I told him to ignore the past. It’s there for a reason. But you’re gonna have to do something to prove to the kid that you’re trying, and that this job isn’t going to get between the two of you again. Whether it will or not when he’s twenty-one again doesn’t matter; he needs to hear that it won’t right now.”

Herc nodded slowly. “I… Thanks, mate. You didn’t need to do that.”

“Yes, I did. Fuck, somebody with English skills needs to help the two of you communicate.” Somebody not Max, he meant. “If Chuck wasn’t capable of overlooking the bullshit of the past, do you think he would have even mentioned you to me last night?” Raleigh swallowed. “He’s… there’s something different about him. Something more honest and willing to listen. If you don’t take advantage of that, you’re never gonna get the chance to again.”

“So… you think he’d be willing…?” Herc trailed off. 

Christ, earnest must run in the family, because Herc’s hopeful expression was killing him. “Yeah, Herc. He’s not just gonna come to you ‘when he’s ready.’ He needs to know that _you’re_ ready.”

“Alright.” Herc grinned and held up his hands, too. “As long as you understand what a privilege it is to sleep with my son.”

Raleigh shoved at the elder Hansen and made a face at the phrasing. “Herc, that’s disgusting!”

“Just expanding all my bases to include when he’s back to his regular age.”

He was absolutely not mortified at the slight flush he could feel creeping up his neck. It was just an embarrassing subject, that was it. Nothing to do with the volatile, twenty-one-year-old asshole in question himself. Herc seemed to be proud to be the cause of that embarrassment, but thankfully let the subject drop. 

Raleigh also considered himself lucky for not receiving a punch for shoving at Herc. 

It was probably the old man’s way of saying he approved. Hansens and their shit-ass communicating abilities, he thought with an inward groan. “Herc, there’s one more thing. When I woke up this morning, the kid was noticeably… bigger. Kid grew like a clothing size or two overnight.”

Herc’s brow furrowed. “Probably want to take him to see Newt about that, mate. I’ve got time for a visit now, yeah?”

Surprised that the acting Marshall was willing to forgo the couple of morning meetings he likely had, Raleigh shrugged. “Yeah. Couldn’t hurt.”

As they rounded the corner to his bunk, Raleigh hung back stealthily, letting Herc go ahead without the elder Hansen knowing what he was up to. The bunk’s heavy door was cracked from where Raleigh had left it open to run after Herc. The older man slipped inside, leaving Raleigh waiting outside the still-opened door. He could just barely see his bed on the other side of the room and the small ginger tuft emerging from his blankets. Herc reached a hand out to shake the gently snoring mass, and Raleigh couldn’t help the smile that formed upon hearing the light grumbles in response. 

He couldn’t hear what transpired between the two, but Raleigh felt another tiny flare of hope as Chuck untangled himself from the blankets, rubbed bleary eyes, and nodded at Herc’s words. A tense moment passed, and then Herc scooped Chuck up and sat the kid on his shoulders. 

“Gotta change outta my PJs, dad!” Chuck cried as Herc headed for the door.

Raleigh turned and pretended to be interested in a particular piece of paneling in the hallway. _Why yes, wonderful structural design, good quality shit_ – “Oh hey, you two.”

Yancy always called him the smooth Becket.

“You can change later.” Herc rumbled with laughter, a welcome sound compared to what Raleigh was used to hearing. And compared to what Chuck was used to hearing, if the kid’s expression was anything to go off of. “Tell you what; you put up with this appointment, and we can do breakfast in bed today. Sound good, kid?”

Chuck’s eyes narrowed; God, the age difference only served to highlight his intelligence. “We don’t have an appointment scheduled.”

“I’m the bloody Marshall. I can schedule anything I want to.”

Raleigh fought back a snort and followed them down the hallway to the K-Science department. Chuck was sharper than most; it would track that the kid had been as smart even at this young an age. Raleigh couldn’t imagine the difficulty Herc faced trying to pull anything over on the kid while raising him.

But Chuck simply nodded, even though Herc couldn’t see him, and said, “’kay.” 

 

 

Newt didn’t do a double take when they walked in; it was a good four or five times that he looked from Herc to Chuck and back before he finally blustered, “What the hell happened?!”

Raleigh grinned at the poor guy’s confusion. “I know what you mean, man. Kid literally aged like that overnight. I had no clue until this morning.”

“Can I…?” Newt reached up for Chuck but paused with a careful glance at Herc. The elder Hansen grunted and passed Chuck from his shoulders to the gurney Newt indicated to. The scientist raced over to the other side of the lab, fiddled with some tools, and then paced back over. Raleigh could see the needle tucked carefully behind his back, hidden from Chuck’s view. “Now, if it’s alright with you, I just need to take another blood sample…” Newt glanced again at Herc, who shrugged, and then at Chuck, whose eyes widened despite the nod he gave. 

The kid was probably going to need some type of support, if that look was any indication. As Chuck’s attention was stolen by the needle Newt was approaching him with, Raleigh glanced at Herc and jerked his head toward them. The extra-large Australian shot back a confused look until Raleigh repeated his action. Herc started slightly and reached Chuck before Newt, stealing the kid’s free hand as Newt raised Chuck’s other arm for the needle. 

Chuck looked pleasantly surprised at the motion. So much so that he didn’t notice Newt prick him quickly before squirreling away the small sample. As Newt turned, Chuck lightly slapped his father’s hand away, feigning embarrassment at the situation. But Raleigh knew better; pointing Herc in that direction had been a good call. 

The lie was past his lips before he really thought about it. “I’ve got a therapy session today that I really can’t miss.” With a less-than-subtle smile at Herc, Raleigh added, “You’re more than welcome to do breakfast at my bunk, since Chuck’s clothes are there, or yours. I’m sure Chuck’s already memorized my door code.”

The little shit glanced up at the ceiling as though avoiding eye-contact would be a sure-fire way to avoid detection, further proving what Raleigh had guessed. He smirked and turned out of the room before Herc could stop him; a little father-son time was exactly what the two needed. 

It was weird, being so involved in this little family the past few days. Especially considering the lack of family in his own life the past few years. Sure, Mako had settled nicely into one of the dark, blank corners of his mind and his life, but she was far too busy to have become a permanent fixture he could rely on for everyday family life. Shit, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d indulged in something even remotely like breakfast in bed. 

Not that Chuck didn’t deserve it. There was no part of him that resented the fact that Chuck had been given the chance to reconstruct his childhood and family life. Christ, he was still reeling from how grateful they all were that what happened was something non-life threatening. But it did make him reflect on his own family, his own past; on things that he’d never get a chance to fix. 

It all made him miss Yancy, of course. When their father wasn’t around, Yancy had stepped up to be there for him. Chuck had no such person; Herc was all he had, and that hadn’t turned out as well as either of them liked the first time around. 

Then again, thinking about another older Chuck made his head hurt. He had enough to deal with already. 

The therapy thing wasn’t exactly a lie; Raleigh did occasionally still power through walk-in therapy sessions on days when the searing images of the Antiverse were too much, when he could still feel Yancy’s loss tearing at his bones; but today wasn’t one of those days. The need to sleep wasn’t too pressing, so he opted instead to head for the mess hall. As always, few techs and LOCCENT personnel occupied the seats and talked amongst themselves. Most of Crimson’s techs had returned home. A table scattered with Gipsy, Striker, and Cherno techs beckoned to him. Once he grabbed his tray, stacked with the usual scrambled eggs, faux-bacon, and a gratuitous amount of toast (he always used to steal Yancy’s), he slid in amongst the techs. 

Sasha’s shark-like grin flashed from across the table. “Hello, young Becket. Baby Hansen is good, yes?”

He’d never been able to really pinpoint their ages, what with Aleksis’ massive frame and her timeless beauty, but Raleigh wasn’t sure everyone else was young enough for them to constantly refer to almost everyone as “young” or “baby” so-and-so. But he smiled in response and decided to update them. “Chuck’s good. Getting a check-up from Newt now and then having breakfast with Herc later.”

“Breakfast? Good to hear. Not like the young one to put up with father’s presence.” 

Aleksis grunted in agreement with Sasha’s statement. His only input on the matter, it seemed. 

“Yeah.” Raleigh found himself oddly talkative about Chuck’s behavior the last few days. Had to be because it was such a departure from the kid’s usual self. “He’s been different lately. A lot more open and willing to putting up with things than you’d expect.”

Sasha’s grin widened further and became the usually predatory teeth-bare. “Because he has good role model around for that.”

“Herc’s not—” Raleigh stopped, fighting the urge to flush again in embarrassment, and focused his attention on his eggs. No, Herc wasn’t exactly the best role model for that. She was well aware, having known the elder Hansen for longer than he had. Raleigh had walked right into that one. 

Crafty Russians. He stabbed ruefully at his eggs. 

“Just making fun. Even if situation is not funny.” Sasha’s face became more serious and Aleksis’ stance mirrored hers. “I am glad to see you there for Baby Hansen. We all could use such role models, even in a time like this.”

The flush won out this time. Raleigh fiddled with his toast, refusing to meet her gaze. Even if he missed the fondness with which she looked at him.


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't even begin to apologize for the late update but I was working on three fics for holiday swaps this year and the time just kinda got away from me. If you guys are still there I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The two Hansen men (man and a half?) returned when most of the table had cleared to go about the rest of their day. Raleigh glanced up from his plate and asked, “So what’s the verdict?”

Herc grinned as Chuck dropped himself into the empty seat next to the blonde and shot a disappointed glance at the empty tray. “According to Newt’s interpretation of the ankle biter’s bloodwork, his metabolism is sky-high. That explains all the eating I guess. Kid certainly didn’t eat this much the first time around. Anyway, he thinks the accelerated metabolism is Chuck’s body catching back up to its normal age. So for now, it seems Chuck will just naturally grow out of this and stabilize when he’s back to his normal age.”

“That’s…” Raleigh observed Chuck’s pained glances at the serving counter. “A good thing I guess? That he doesn’t need any special kaiju voodoo to fix him I mean. Sounds like it’ll just take time.”

“Good thing we don’t have the apocalypse looming over us anymore, yeah?” Herc scratched at the back of his neck before he added, “Speaking of that, any chance you’re free today? One of my meetings got moved up.”

Awkward. Raleigh hadn’t expected to have to tell Herc no when it came to taking care of Chuck – hadn’t expected to have to take care of Chuck at all, really – and wasn’t sure how the elder Hansen would react. “Uh, well… I had planned to go into the city to pick up something from Chau–”

“Had? Bonzer. I’ll pick him up later tonight for dinner.”

“That’s–” Raleigh groaned at Herc’s retreating frame. He wasn’t speaking in the past tense; he did have to pick up something from the goggled Black-Market dealer that couldn’t wait. Mako was busy today and he still wasn’t sure how it would go over if he left the kid with Tendo or Hermann. He re-focused his attention on Chuck. The kid stared up at him with wide eyes. He was probably closer in age to six now. Inspiration struck. “Hey kiddo, you wanna go into town and get some real food?”

Chuck brightened and nodded enthusiastically. 

It took two trips back to his bunk before Chuck was dressed in a graphic t-shirt he was happy in and thank God, the Techs who donated their children’s old clothing to him had decent taste. The Gipsy Danger printed t-shirt was awesome and Chuck clearly wore it with pride. 

The two guards at the entrance that had been posted once the cult people began showing up at their door in angry mobs after the destruction of the Breach gave them a passing greeting before calling for a car to take them into the city. Raleigh was grateful that there was little fanfare behind the exit because the last thing he needed was Herc finding out about this excursion. 

Chuck, the little shit, jumped into the passenger seat at once and grinned back at him. The driver, of course, found it hilarious and entertained the kid until they pulled within the city limits. 

The only time Raleigh began to second-guess his plan was when they both stepped out of the car and headed into the heart of the remainder of the city. Tons of people were out and about. He hadn’t expected this kind of crowd considering the damage that both Otachi and Leatherback (and okay, he and Mako) had inflicted on the city. The rebuilding efforts were well under way but Raleigh had expected an easier time moving about. He caught Chuck’s startled glance and reached for the kid’s hand. The last thing Raleigh needed was to lose him in the mob of people. 

Despite the hand-holding Chuck had a perpetually concerned expression on his scrunched features. Raleigh thought back to the days when it was Yancy dragging him around the cities and remembered something his older brother did to make him feel better.

Raleigh reached down to grab under Chuck’s arms and hoisted the kid up onto his shoulders; it was easy considering the height difference. Chuck, who was momentarily confused at the sudden jostling, gripped small hands into Raleigh’s hair to steady himself but thankfully loosened the hold when he understood. From up there, Chuck could see nearly everything around them and wasted no time taking in the sights with a grin Raleigh could practically feel. Raleigh adjusted his grip on the kid’s legs and moved through the crowd. 

Several people stopped to glance and grin in their direction but nobody stopped them. Raleigh wasn’t sure if it was because they hadn’t realized who he was or had decided they didn’t want to bother him but he wasn’t complaining either way. 

One of Chuck’s hands lifted from where it was tangled in his hair and Raleigh glanced up to see the kid point at something up the street. It wasn’t the way to the restaurant he had in mind. He strained to glance around a passing group of people–

–a candy store. Of course. 

Raleigh hoped to hell the kid wouldn’t throw a tantrum when he remembered it was highly unlikely a Chinese candy store carried Tim Tams. “Alright kiddo. Just for a minute.”

Once he reached the small shop’s door Raleigh swung the kid gracefully down to his feet. Chuck glanced at him long enough to confirm that yes, Raleigh would be going inside with him, before he tore off into the brightly-colored and highly-sugared area. 

Chuck regarded every label with the same devoted concentration he applied to everything he considered. The scrunched nose and darting eyes left Raleigh chuckling to himself as he observed the kid from a corner. It was best not to get in the kid’s way, he figured. Chuck kept to his statement and approached Raleigh within minutes of stepping into the store, his hands full of multicolored wrappers. 

Raleigh chuckled again and reached for a plastic bag hanging from one of the store’s wooden support beams. It was a miracle this place had survived the war; that thought came less from the glance at that support beam and more from seeing Chuck’s excited expression. Shit, he really was in trouble. 

“You’re killing me, kid. I think they charge by the pound here.”

The smaller Hansen dumped all the candy into the bag save for a few larger pieces. At Raleigh’s confused expression, the kid rolled his eyes and said, “For you.”

“Oh.” Raleigh accepted and rolled the nicely wrapped candies in his hands. Hard candies like the sweets he always used to eat before the war. Hell, if his damaged memory served correctly the last time he had some had been when Yancy bought them for him. “Thanks kiddo.”

Chuck’s lips turned up far too much like a smirk than a smile. “You’re still paying, Ray.”

Yep. Should’ve figured the sweetness wouldn’t last. 

“Come on, you little shit. Let’s go check out.”

He really should stop referring to Chuck that way. It was a force of habit after his dealings with the adult Chuck but one of these days, an affronted onlooker was going to give him a stern talking-to. At least, that’s the vibe he got from the guy in line in front of them. 

 

 

They made it to the restaurant without incident. Chuck munched quietly on his sweets, hand still placed in Raleigh’s, and Raleigh suppressed the urge to tell him not to ruin his appetite. The way the kid’s metabolism was running he probably couldn’t ruin it if he tried. 

The hostess seated them with a smile and Raleigh ordered a sizeable spread from the menu. The amount of money he was spending was a distant noise in the back of his mind. After the war, the remaining Rangers had been given a sizeable pension for all their trouble. Well, not for all, because there probably wasn’t enough money to cover having to pilot solo twice after losing your brother and half your mind, but still. The money was flowing good and if anything, he’d get Chuck to take him out and buy him lunch after this ordeal was over. 

Not in like a date way. Definitely not in a date way. 

Chuck’s vain attempts to use a pair of chopsticks with his stunted fingers made the entire trip worth it, especially after the kid unleashed one of his more epic bitch faces at Raleigh for shaking with silent laughter on the other side of the table. Raleigh ignored the scandalized looks from the waitress as she cleared the empty plates from the table (Chuck really had eaten far too much food for someone of his small size) and stood from the table with a stretch.

“Wait here while I get the check, Charlie.” Raleigh ruffled the kid’s hair and laughed at the sour expression on his face. “I’ll be right back.”

The cashier tried to refuse payment when he realized who Raleigh was but Raleigh insisted. He was glad this establishment had survived the war and wanted to make sure it had enough funding to stay open through the re-construction.

Not to mention the little fat-ass with him had probably eaten a good portion of their daily profits.

So he paid the bill, thanked the cashier, and headed back to the table. “Okay kid, we’re ready–”

An empty table met his sight. 

“Chuck?” Raleigh leaned down and glanced under the table. 

“You’re still here?” The waitress’s surprised question behind him startled him.

He glanced up at her. “What do you mean still here?”

She shrugged and pointed at his arm. “I saw him leaving after a guy with a similar jacket. Must’ve followed him thinking he was you.”

“You– what–?” Oh no. Herc was going to murder him so hard his great-grandkids were going to feel it. Raleigh sputtered at her a bit more before he tore out of the restaurant and glanced frantically around the busy street. 

No sign of ginger hair anywhere. 

“Fucking–” Panic rose through his chest and into his throat. 

He was so fucking dead.

Instinctively, he reached for his phone and punched in the first number that came to mind. It rang several times before she picked up.

“Raleigh? What is the matter? I am in the middle of a meeting.”

“I can’t–” Raleigh gasped for breath. Was he really about to have a panic attack in the fucking streets of Hong Kong? _Focus Becket_. “Mako, I can’t find Chuck.”

“You _lost_ him?!”

Raleigh snapped back, “Herc lost him first!” He rubbed a hand down his face and tried again to collect his thoughts. “I– we’re in the city. I took him for lunch and apparently he followed someone else out of the restaurant. I don’t know where to even look.”

Mako paused on the other end of the line. “You took him into the city.” It was a statement that had Raleigh preparing himself for the worst scolding. “Why did you _ever_ think that was a good idea? Does Herc even know his son is not in the Shatterdome?”

“No!” He shouted loud enough that passing people glanced at him with concerned expressions. “And you better not tell him, Mako, he’d kill me. I just– what should I do?”

A sudden flash caught his eye – a surprisingly ginger flash. There was no mistaking that for anyone else in this city. Raleigh hung up and took off running. Sure enough, once he shoved a few people out of his way he came upon a sad sight.

Chuck was sitting on the ground by himself. He rubbed one eye pitifully as he stared at the ground.

Raleigh slid to a halt next to him and picked the kid up by the grabby-hands that started in his direction. “ _There_ you are, kiddo.” He felt Chuck’s face mash into his neck and his heart somehow broke a little further as he felt wetness there; the kid had been crying. 

Shit. He didn’t think he’d be this bad at this. 

The kid leaned his head back far enough to look up at him with an offended expression. “The hell, Ray?”

Cursing out of that small mouth should have been hilarious but Raleigh couldn’t bring himself to feel anything other than an overwhelming sense of fear and guilt, and just the tiniest bit of relief. Chuck must have thought Raleigh was leaving the store without him and hurried after that same jacket until he realized the stranger was not, in fact, him. That couldn’t have felt good at all. 

“I know.” Raleigh straightened up with the kid still in his arms and kept murmuring apologies into that soft ginger hair. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I would’ve taken you up with me if I’d known.”

“’s okay.” Chuck gave one more heartbreaking sniff before he settled more comfortably. He was almost getting too big to be carried like this but after this debacle Raleigh wasn’t going to even think of complaining. “Can we go home, Ray?”

Raleigh closed his eyes for a moment and savored the feeling of the weight in his arms and the weight of that word, _home_. “Yeah Charlie. Let’s go home.”

Mako was beyond livid when they returned. She held her normally calm demeanor but Raleigh knew she was pissed from the vein that twitched in her lean neck. “I see you found him.”

Raleigh nodded. “Yeah. I did. And I know, it was a stupid fucking idea and I’m not taking him anywhere from now on.”

Her steely expression softened. “It was not a bad idea; the execution could have used some work, though.” She paused and glanced at the softly snoring kid in his arms. Chuck had fallen asleep the second they got into the car and Raleigh hadn’t had the heart to put him down. “Herc does not know. You are lucky.”

“Thanks, Mako.” He quickly kissed the top of her head and hurried down the hall to his bunk.

 

 

He should have known that he wouldn’t get away with the city disaster. Nothing else in Raleigh’s life had gone so smoothly so why would that start now? He was sitting in the mess hall working on a sandwich days after the incident when a large and deadly hand slammed on the surface next to his tray.

Raleigh jumped so violently he pitched backward out of the seat. Okay, he probably deserved that. He glanced up into Herc’s livid expression and wished he hadn’t.

“D’you wanna tell me what in the _FUCK_ this is, mate!?” Herc shouted.

Another glance at that hand showed Raleigh there was something under it. He tentatively accepted the paper and his heart plummeted. 

It was a print-out of a news article several pages long. The story was quick but the pictures were plenty. There were ones of him holding Chuck’s hand, several of the kid riding on his shoulders with a gleeful expression, and one of him crouched on the ground and holding Chuck close as he cried.

Fuck. He didn’t need that assault on his feelings today.

What Herc had to be talking about, though, was the headline.

_Building romance as the city builds around them?! Ranger Raleigh Becket pictured stepping out on the town with what looks like fellow Ranger Chuck Hansen’s love child!_

The laugh burst out of him without any warning. He had to admit the article was rather laughable; who in their right mind thought he and Chuck had gone and adopted a small ginger love child after dating for such a short time? Thinking of him dating Chuck alone was crazy enough but adding a kid into the mix was asking for disaster. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that Herc didn’t share his humor. That large hand came off the table and lunged his way until all he saw was black.


End file.
